The limit for the number of people in any public gathering has been dropped from 15 people to 10 people.

The Health Ministry announced the news on Wednesday, noting that it will come into effect as of tomorrow – Thursday 1 October.

The new measure will see the number of people who can gather in a public place be reduced to 10.

The Ministry said that the measure is coming into effect after consultation with the Superintendent of Public Health in order to further limit the spread of Covid-19.

This means that in public spaces – includes queues and bus stops – no more than 10 people can be gathered together unless social distancing is maintained.

The measure does not apply to people living in the same residence.

Malta currently has 462 cases of the virus - a far cry from the 3 active cases which the island had mid-way through last July.  The number of deaths meanwhile has risen significantly, with 34 people with Covid-19 having passed away - the majority of those passing away in September alone, after the virus made its way into some homes for the elderly.

Health Minister Chris Fearne recently indicated that new measures such as these may be needed as the influenza season approaches in order to reduce the risk of the country's health system having to deal with two viruses at once.