Malta’s bars and clubs will remain shut until at least 1 February, Superintendent for Public Health Charmaine Gauci announced on Wednesday.

Bars and clubs – including band clubs – were shut down at the end of October as the government moved to try and stem the spread of a renewed surge of Covid-19 cases.

The ban was initially for a month, but it was later extended to cover all of December as well. The current ban ran till 1 January.

The extension has now been confirmed by Gauci during her weekly briefing.

Snack bars and kiosks are allowed to remain open, but they are banned from selling any type of alcohol and must close by 11pm.