The rate of spread of COVID-19 - the R factor- is down to 1.2, public health chief Charmaine Gauci has confirmed, but Malta is still "not out of the woods".
In comments during Times of Malta's fortnightly Facebook show Ask Charmaine, Gauci said the rate of spread was currently 1.2, meaning each person could infect more than one other individual.
While any figure above 1 is considered problematic by health authorities, the latest rate is significantly lower than that registered in August, when there had been days when this was higher than 2.
Gauci was quick to point out that Malta is not yet out of the woods and the pandemic is far from over. People should continue to follow the health authorities' guidance and adhere to the measures in place to control the spread.
Testing centres getting upgrade
On the number of swab tests being lower in recent days, hovering around the 2,000 mark when there had been other days when over 3,000 tests were done, Gauci said this was due to an IT upgrade at the centres.
IT systems at the six testing centres, she said, are in the process of getting upgrades that would facilitate the processing of information and make it more efficient. The upgrades should be completed in the next couple of the days, with the number of tests being carried out expected to once again increase.
Reopening of schools
On the protocols for the reopening of schools, set to be published on Wednesday, Gauci said that there are a number of procedures which must be followed.
She explained that social bubbles will be key to controlling the spread, as will contact tracing. In case a student tests positive, all contacts will have to spend 14 days in quarantine, she said, even if they test negative for the virus.
Students who turn up to school with COVID-19 symptoms will not be allowed to join other students in class but will be kept in isolated rooms until their parents or guardians can pick them up. Students over the age of three will also have to wear masks on school buses throughout their journey to and from school.