A single new COVID-19 case was reported on Wednesday, the same as on Tuesday. No new cases were detected for the first time in 11 months on Monday.

The health authorities said on Wednesday that three patients had recovered, leaving 68 active cases.

Malta's positivity rate is now down to 0.1%.

The number of vaccination jabs has risen to 564,718 with 243,252 people now fully vaccinated. 

Charmaine Gauci, the superintendent of public health, said on the Ask Charmaine programme that major progress had been made since the high number of cases in March.

Only three people were in hospital as a result of the virus, with none of these patients being treated in the Intensive Treatment Unit, she said.

Gauci also confirmed no cases have been detected in homes for the elderly for the past three weeks. 

She insisted that discipline needs to be maintained so that summer can be enjoyed by all. The irresponsibility of a few could cause other people to suffer, she cautioned.  

Asked whether she feared the number of new cases could spike later on in summer, as had happened last year, Gauci said the availability of the vaccine meant the situation this year is different. 

In July last year, Malta had gone days without detecting new cases before clusters from mass events triggered a spike in numbers. All mass events, except for seated weddings, are still banned, with the authorities refusing to say when they plan on permitting large gatherings.