The government plans to continue easing the country’s COVID-19 measures in the coming weeks and though Health Minister Chris Fearne announced new rules on Monday, he failed to properly explain how some of these will work in practice.

Times of Malta has collected the most common questions raised by readers.

What are the latest measures?

The government has finally changed its stance on self-testing kits and these will become legal “this week” although Fearne did not provide a date. Until the law is updated, these tests cannot be sold, bought, imported or used.

It remains unclear who will be selling the kits, whether the government will offer them for free and how people’s results will be monitored. Health sources have told Times of Malta the legal notice outlining all this will also be out “this week”. Once again, no date has been provided and, as of Wednesday, the legal notice had not been published.

Another new measure is the removal of masks in schools. Fearne had already promised the authorities were reviewing the possibility of the removal of masks after the Easter holidays but this has now been confirmed and masks will be off in schools from April 13.

PCR tests and recovery certificates – which Malta does not yet recognise for travel purposes unlike most EU countries – will also be allowed. This means that Malta will no longer require travellers to be fully vaccinated but can now come to the island with a negative test or proof of infection in recent months. This comes into force from April 12 with those travelling from red list countries eligible.

And, finally, a second booster shot will be offered to those considered to be vulnerable, although this will be optional and will not impact one’s vaccine certificate.

Where will the self-testing kits be sold and how much will they cost?

We don’t know. The health authorities have said the rules will be outlined in a legal notice although this has yet to be published. Some countries do offer kits to their citizens for free although it has yet to be seen whether this will be the case in Malta.

What documents will you need when coming to Malta?

With the new rules, all of the functions of the EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC) will be made use of, meaning it can also include a recovery certificate or a negative PCR test result. Previously,  the Maltese authorities insisted on only recognising proof of vaccination. This meant the non-vaccinated would only be allowed into Malta if they went into quarantine on arrival. It is unclear what prompted this change in policy.

The passenger locator form, used for contact tracing purposes, will still be needed.

Will rapid tests be allowed for travel?

The authorities are yet to say. When asked about it, they gave a similar reply as with the other rules:  the legal notice will be published later on in the week.

Where are masks still mandatory?

Now that the mask requirement in schools is to be dropped, mandatory mask wearing will only be needed in shops and other public indoor places. It remains unclear whether this rule will be revised soon.

Can people gather in groups larger than six?

Yes. Despite being blatantly ignored in recent months, the law still required people not to gather in groups larger than six. This rule is to be dropped completely and there will be no limit on the number of people that can get together.

Why is the second booster dose only offered to some groups of people?

According to the health authorities, the immune response provided by vaccination is not strong enough in those with certain health conditions. This applies to all types of vaccinations. For this reason, they require an additional vaccine dose in order to be properly protected.

Who is eligible for the second booster?

The fourth dose will be offered to those considered severely immunocompromised and the “very elderly”.

Severely immunocompromised persons are those who have received organ transplants, those with blood or solid organ cancers, those receiving treatment for rheumatological and severe inflammatory conditions and other immunosuppressive states due the medical condition or due to treatment.

Why are only the elderly in care homes getting the fourth dose?

This is because, according to the authorities, the risk of transmission in homes for the elderly is higher.

When will the general population be offered the second booster?

At this stage, the health authorities have not made such a decision as the first booster is proving to offer enough protection for the general population.