While the number of Covid-19 cases has remained low over the past weeks, one must wait and see what the impact of the virus variants will be, statistician Vince Marmara said in his weekly vlog for The Malta Independent on Sunday.

Marmara said the situation over the past seven days was very similar to the past few weeks, with numbers remaining low.

Only 0.1% of tests carried out over the past week resulted in positive Covid-19 cases.

There were no deaths this week, and there were more recoveries than new cases. The number of recoveries has been low because there are only around 30 active cases.

The vaccination drive is also still going strong, Marmara noted. Around 61% of the total population has now been given both doses, and around 70% received at least first dose.

The percentages for the people who are eligble to receive the vaccine are even higher.

Our society has a high level of protection, which is helping keep the transmission rate low.

When considering all of thew above, the r-factor – or Covid reproduction rate - is below 0.2, unchanged from last week.

Marmara noted that countries like France, Germany and Italy have seen a decrease in cases, unlike the UK which has seen a surge in new cases, mostly as a result of the variant.

“The pandemic has always presented uncertainties and unkowns, as is now the case with the variant. These variants are a big unknown and we have to see how effective the vaccine will be against Covid and its various variants. More studies are needed to see what the impact of these variatns will be.”

Marmara said that, while we are returning to a degree of normality, the authorities must keep following the situation closely and act accordingly, especially when new information comes in.

“Until then, one hopes that the vaccine will probe to be effective even against the variants. We must always remain vigilant and obey the instructions given by the health authorities.”