One of Mater Dei Hospital’s COVID ITUs has been reopened after the number of patients requiring intensive care increased slightly.

Sources said the special COVID-19 units were closed in recent weeks as the number of patients requiring intensive care had dwindled.

Instead, patients were being treated in isolated cubicles in the main intensive therapy unit. But as more COVID patients started to require intensive care – five on Wednesday – treating them in the main ITU alongside other critical patients became more difficult.

According to the sources, only one of the COVID-19 ITUs is required for the time being as there is sufficient bed capacity. However, the development has still led to more pressure being exerted on healthcare workers as they have to cover more areas with the same number of people.

Healthcare workers have to be constantly prepared for a new surge of cases, the source added.

At the height of the second wave of infections in March, six ITUs had to be set up to deal with the influx of critical patients infected with the virus. 

At the time, healthcare workers had told Times of Malta they feared the hospital could buckle under the pressure, especially since those working at the ITU require specialised training. 

Since then, the island’s hospitalisation rate has dropped significantly, with the health authorities attributing this to the success of the vaccination drive. 

Over 90 per cent of the population is vaccinated, the highest rate in Europe. The authorities have now started administering booster doses to the elderly in care homes while those who are immunocompromised will also start receiving a third dose soon. Anyone over the age of 70 is also to get a booster in the coming weeks. 

Meanwhile, the health authorities announced last week they would shift their focus from the number of daily new infections to that of patients in hospital, in line with what is being done in several other countries.