Updated 5pm with health minister's comments
Just one new COVID-19 case was detected overnight from a total of 559 tests, Superintendent for Public Health Charmaine Gauci said on Saturday.
The additional case brings Malta’s total number of confirmed cases up to 448. It is the fourth time in seven days that authorities have detected just one new infection over 24 hours.
The newly-identified patient is a 52-year-old man who reported symptoms on April 23. Contact tracing is now under way with his family.
A further 26 patients have recovered, bumping the total number of recovered patients up to 249 and further improving the ratio of recovered patients to active cases, which tipped over into positive territory for the first time on Friday.
Medical authorities are caring for 195 patients at present.
A fourth patient, a 96-year-old woman who suffered from other medical conditions, died overnight. She is the fourth coronavirus patient to die.
Gauci urged people once again to not be misled by the low number of daily cases being registered and urged people to stay indoors.
It was especially important to keep elderly and vulnerable people “coocooned” and protected from any risk of infection, Gauci said.
Browsing on a desktop PC? Check out the full version of this data dashboard.
Random testing to be increased
The 559 tests carried out over the past 24 hours is the lowest number of daily tests conducted in almost one month, and follows a pattern of fewer tests registered in recent days.
Gauci acknowledged the lower numbers. That might be because fewer people are experiencing symptoms, she said, though she urged people to be vigilant.
With fewer people reporting symptoms, authorities will now start increasing the number of random tests carried out across the population, Gauci said.
Random testing is geared towards identifying asymptomatic patients - those who are infected but not exhibited any symptoms.
Gauci urged people who suffer from allergies to keep a particular eye on their symptoms.
"If you sense that your allergic reaction is stronger or different, call us on 111 so we can be sure that COVID-19 is not to blame," she said.
Health minister Chris Fearne said one of the reasons behind the low number of new cases was the "proactive and aggressive approach to testing".
"Swabbing is the gold standard for testing and is the surest way of identifying and isolating positive cases. It is essential that we maintain a high level of testing," he said.
"The Health Authorities have started to offer testing to everyone who visits the Casualty or the Out Patient departments at Mater Dei. However my appeal is to anyone with symptoms to call 111 and take the test. The commonest symptoms at a fever, cough, diarrhea or loss of smell and taste. But symptoms may be atypical or very mild. If in doubt - take the test."
Use of technology
Fearne has said that authorities are planning to introduce technology to facilitate contact tracing.
Asked about this, Gauci said the technology would take the form of an application that would make it possible to quickly and accurately identify contact with infected persons
"We are also speaking to other EU countries to work together," she said. "The EU provides guidance and help on developing such applications."
Preparations for this application also include discussions with the data protection commissioner to ensure the app respects GDPR data privacy laws, she added.
Private gatherings
Gatherings of four or more have been banned in public places, but people can still gather in large groups in private settings.
Asked whether this defeated the purpose of the law, Gauci argued that authorities could not impinge on private settings and drew on an unusual comparison with tobacco.
"We introduced laws banning smoking from public places. We cannot stop a person from smoking in the privacy of their own home," she said.