Authorities announced 119 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the lowest daily case count since January 3.

The new cases were however detected from just 2,571 swab tests, which is also a three-week low. Those figures meant the positivity rate stood at 4.6 per cent, in line with the average reported in recent weeks. 

The positivity rate is a measure of the proportion of tests that are positive and is used as an indicator of how widespread infection is. 

Deaths reach 250 

A further two patients died, taking Malta’s COVID-19 death toll to 250. The two victims were an 89-year-old woman who died at the Good Samaritan long-term care facility and a 77-year-old man who died at Mater Dei Hospital.  

Data published by the Health Ministry showed that a further 211 patients recovered overnight, meaning the number of active cases as of 12.30pm on Saturday stood at 2,646. 

Vaccination efforts continued apace, with the data indicating that healthcare workers administered 1,236 doses during the past day.  

Earlier on Saturday, Superintendent for Public Health Charmaine Gauci received her first COVID-19 vaccine. Malta’s vaccination rollout has been among the EU’s fastest so far, with 17,767 doses administered so far. Each patient requires two separate doses to be inoculated against the virus. 

Authorities are currently vaccinating patients and residents at care homes, those aged 85 or older who live in the community and long-term patients aged 60 or older at Karin Grech Hospital, as well as medical staff who are not in direct contact with COVID-19 patients.