A total of 27 new COVID-19 cases were registered overnight, while another 58 patients recovered.

This is the first time, since August 11, that less than 30 people tested positive for the virus in 24 hours.

The number of new cases had spiked to 72 on August 15 but Malta has since seen a downward trend. 

Official figures released at 12.30pm showed 593 active cases out of a total 1,847 reported since the pandemic first spread to Malta. 

Health authorities subsequently announced that one of those patients - an 86-year-old woman - died while in intensive care, becoming the eleventh infected person to die in Malta. 

She was one of three COVID-19 patients breathing with the help of a ventilator. A further five patients were receiving treatment at Mater Dei’s Infectious Diseases Unit.

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Saturday's figures were published by the health authorities on Facebook.

In all, between Friday and Saturday, 2,290 people were tested. 

Referring to the 32 cases diagnosed on Friday, the health authorities said that eight were related to a previously known case, five were traced to the place of work, another three were a direct contact of a known case and two are linked to a social gathering.

On Saturday Health Minister Chris Fearne said Malta will be one of the first countries Malta to receive COVIS-19 inoculation, after it was allocated 330,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine that could potentially start being produced in the coming weeks.