The number of active COVID cases spiked again on Friday to a three-month high of 96 new cases.

After just three recoveries recorded overnight, there are currently 252 active cases in Malta. 

No deaths linked to COVID were registered over the past 24 hours, and Times of Malta is informed that the number of hospitalised COVID patients stands at three.

Health authorities did not provide an immediate break down of where the new cases have originated from.

Health Minister Chris Fearne and Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci will address a news conference at 4pm.  

It comes a day after Malta recorded 55 new COVID-19 cases with the majority being students who are in the country to learn English.  It was the highest single-day surge in more than two months.

Hours later the doctors' union slammed the Tourism Ministry's "amateurism and lack of foresight".

The surge in cases led to a call from the Opposition for increased screening at the ports of entry.

In a statement, the PN proposed that those who arrived with a vaccine certificate should also be asked to present a negative COVID-19 test.

And they suggested that an unvaccinated person arriving into Malta with a negative COVID-19 test should be screened by another test on arrival.

Forum Unions Maltin also expressed concern about what it called "the government’s decision of allowing any form of tourism without any vaccination".

The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association meanwhile warned that illegal and uncontrolled activities remained a threat to the safe reopening of the industry.

Vaccination

Doctors and the health authorities are urging people to get vaccinated to help curb the spread of the virus.

So far, 346,739 people have been fully vaccinated, while more than 700,000 doses have been administered. 

Data showed that healthcare workers administered 3,322 vaccine doses over the past day. 

According to health authorities data, 30,851 COVID cases have been detected over the past 16 months, with the pandemic killing at least 420 people.

 

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.