Malta will become one of the first European countries to make use of a specialised machine to process Covid-19 swab tests, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne said.

The robotic equipment will be able to process some 800 tests per day, Fearne said during a visit to Mater Dei Hospital's pathology department.

The final preparations are underway and the deparmtent will start using the machine in the coming hours, he said.

Tests will be processed within a few minutes. This means that the authorities will be able to announce the results of the tests on the same day they are taken.

Fearne said Malta has access to this equipment because the authorities were proactive and invested wisely.

Widespread testing is one way to control the spread of the Coronavirus, he said. Covid-19 patients can be identified earlier and can then be isolated and treated, he said.