Two people with COVID-19 have died overnight, the health authorities said on Monday.

The victims are both men, aged 55 and 90.

The same data issued by the authorities shows that 202 new COVID cases were registered overnight, while a further 1,253 recovered.

This means there are currently 4,708 known active cases in Malta. 

Of these, 103 are in hospital, six of whom are receiving intensive treatment. 

On Sunday, Robert Abela said the government will start easing COVID-19 restrictions in the first week of February.

Hours later, hundreds protested against COVID measures, chanting "freedom", "libertà" and "no green passes" as they walked down Republic Street in Valletta.

However, doctors and nurses have told Times of Malta reducing quarantine periods for infected patients could be risky, especially since the Omicron variant remains highly infectious and data is still considered limited. 

In a statement on Monday, the Association of Catering Establishments said given the herd immunity reached in Malta "there is no reason to keep considering COVID 19 as a pandemic".

"Consequently, it is now time to remove the restrictions in their entirety. The country should now focus on bringing the tourism levels back up to the pre-COVID numbers for the common good," it added.