The number of COVID-19 cases in Malta continued to decline on Saturday, with just two new cases detected while a further 14 patients covered.

As a result, there are currently just 84 active virus cases in the country. 

No COVID-19 related deaths were reported, with the overall virus death toll remaining stable at 417 for a 16th consecutive day. 

Healthcare workers administered 1,926 swab tests on Friday, the ministry data indicated. 

Vaccinations also continued at a rapid pace, with a total of 7,504 doses administered over the past 24 hours. 

As of Friday, 299,549 people had received at least one vaccine dose, with 169,177 fully vaccinated.

Medical sources have told Times of Malta that they expect Malta to achieve its initial target of vaccinating 70 per cent of the eligible population by the middle of next week. 

Vaccination is currently available to every resident aged 16 and over. Vaccine registration can be done online or via SMS. 

More than 95 per cent of over 60s have received at least one vaccine dose, with three out of every four people in their 50s also vaccinated. Among people in their 30s, just over half (55%) have received at least one dose. 

Just 12 people are being treated for COVID-19 in hospital: four in Mater Dei's intensive treatment unit; four in its infectious diseases unit; two in Gozo General Hospital and two at the Paul Boffa hospital. 

Most local COVID-19 cases continue to be of UK and Brazilian virus variants, with a highly contagious Indian variant that has spread rapidly across the UK yet to be detected locally. 

On Friday, Germany announced that it would ban travellers from the UK due to concerns about the variant. Speaking on Friday, public health chief Charmaine Gauci said that local authorities were keeping a close eye on the situation there and would downgrade the UK to Malta’s red list of countries if necessary.