19 new local cases of Covid-19 have been found overnight, while 27 migrants residing in closed centres also tested positive in the last 24 hours, health authorities said on Friday.

In their daily update, the health authorities also said that there were 37 new recoveries – another day where the number of recoveries has exceeded the number of new cases.

It means that there are now 406 active cases of the virus, a number which does not include the migrants after the government reached an agreement with the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) for them not to be included with official figures as they have no bearing on local transmission of the virus.

1,869 tests were carried out in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of swabs ever closer to the 200,000 mark – it now stands at 198,883.

Health authorities said that more details about the active cases will be given by Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci  in a press conference, which can be followed here.

Malta has had 1,984 cases of Covid-19 since the pandemic first arrived in Malta on 7 March. 1,565 of those have recovered, while 13 have died.