Qormi mayor Renald Falzon has died today, the Qormi local council said.

He was 46 years old.

Sources told The Malta Independent that Falzon passed away while positive for Covid-19, which makes him the youngest of Malta's pandemic victims so far.

Health authorities are yet to officially announce his death.

In what would be his last social media post, last October, Falzon told his followers that due to health reasons he had to step back from his work but assured that he was well, just that he needed some rest.

Falzon was first elected to the locality's council in 2015 under the Labour Party ticket, before being elected as its mayor in 2019. 

In a post on Facebook, the council said that the Qormi community will always be grateful for his contribution to the locality and offered its condolences to Falzon's family.

Many Labour exponents had appealed for people to keep Falzon in their prayers in recent days, and Social Housing Minister Roderick Galdes and Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar both took to social media to remember Falzon, sending their own condolences to his family.

In a statement, the Labour Party expressed its sadness at Falzon's passing, describing him as an example to many within the PL. The party said that he gave invaluable work within the party's structures both at local, district, and national level, and will always be remembered for his work in the voluntary sector and with various local organisations.