The total number of swab tests for Covid-19 carried out in Malta has hit the 200,000 mark, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Saturday morning.
The figure continues to place Malta far ahead of other European counter-parts such as Portugal, the UK, Germany, Greece, and Italy.
Malta has been praised for its high level of testing for the virus, with both Health Minister Fearne and Superintendent for Public Health Charmaine Gauci saying that it is a key part of Malta’s strategy to fight the virus.
In a tweet, Fearne said that the figure is the equivalent of 40% of the Maltese population.
It should be noted however that the global testing figure includes re-tests on positive cases, and that thousands of people have taken the swab test more than once.
As of Friday afternoon, Malta had 406 active cases of the virus. 13 people have died with Covid-19.