Daily COVID-19 infections have risen to a fresh two-month high, according to the latest public health figures.

Some 523 new cases were recorded on Wednesday, the highest daily tally since April 10. There was one death.

An estimated 3,719 people have the virus - up from 2,012 the week before, which is a rise of 85%.

Wednesday's positivity rate - the number of cases detected from the total number of tests - stood at over 27%.

The weekly rate has been climbing for some weeks, according to EU data. The rate does not include results from self-testing kits as those who test positive using such tests are not obliged to report their result to the authorities.

Health Minister Chris Fearne previously blamed the rise on a fast-spreading subvariant of Omicron, called Omicron XE, which is behind some of the new infections.

Last week he urged all those over the age of 65 to accept their appointment for the second booster dose. 

The health authorities no longer provide a daily total of the number of people in hospital or in intensive care, so it is difficult to judge how serious the new rise in infections is. 

However, he previously said that while the new variant is more infectious, doctors are not seeing more severe symptoms or complications as a result. 

COVID-19 has been mutating since it first emerged as a virus affecting people in early 2020.

Most restrictions around the virus have been lifted in Malta, meaning people are mixing more, giving the infection more chance to spread.

Currently only those who test positive for COVID-19 have to quarantine. 

Denmark offers fourth Covid vaccine dose to over-50s 

Denmark's government said Wednesday the country will begin offering a fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to risk groups next week and all over-50s after the summer, amid the emergence of the new variant.

"Authorities believe the new variant is more infectious than the previous one, which is why we are acting now... to protect the most vulnerable and the elderly", Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters.

She said those most at risk would be able to receive a fourth dose starting next week.

The Omicron subvariant BA.5 now accounts for 59 percent of new cases in Denmark, which has registered more than 3.1 million infections since the beginning of the pandemic in a country of 5.8 million people. 

Denmark, which paused its vaccination campaign at the end of April, said the campaign would scale up after the summer.

"Health authorities have recommended a revaccination of 2.5 million Danes in the autumn", Fredriksen said.

The fourth dose will be offered to all over-50s as of October 1. Around 62 percent of Danes have already received a third dose. 

The Scandinavian country lifted all of its Covid restrictions on February and has no plans to reintroduce them.

"Our strategy is a society without restrictions, that is why we need to prevent the illness" more than the spread of the infection, the head of Denmark's National Board of Health, Soren Brostrom, told reporters at the same press conference.

He urged people with symptoms to test themselves and isolate if their test is positive.