Almost half of the new cases of Covid-19 being found in Malta are cases imported from abroad who are not vaccinated, Health Minister Chris Fearne said.

The number of active cases in Malta has jumped to 79, having been at 28 cases just over a week ago.

Fearne however said that just under half of these new cases are directly imported from abroad.

These imported cases came from continental Europe and entered the country with a negative PCR test. 

Fearne said however that being that the incubation period of the virus is around 10 days, there is the risk that a person may test positive after their arrival in the country – which is why the vaccine certificate is much safer.

The government, Fearne said, that controlled events can still happen and that if the level of community cases remains low, standing events will also soon be allowed to take place.

As things stand, two people are also in hospital with Covid-19.  Both of them are foreigners who are residents in Malta and who haven’t been vaccinated, and one of them is receiving treatment in Mater Dei’s Intensive Therapy Unit.

On the new cases being reported, Fearne said that the absolute majority – 90% of them in fact – are unvaccinated, which proves that the vaccine is very effective in protecting people from the virus.

Asked about the situation with regards to the Delta variant in the country, Fearne said that there is now only one case of the variant in Malta, after another case was declared as recovered.

Around half of the new cases of Covid-19 being found in Malta have been classified as imported cases. Fearne acknowledge the increase in active cases over the past days and noted that the positivity rate has risen from 0.15 to 0.25.

The seven-day moving average of cases, which is now at 6, also went up from 3 the previous week, Fearne said.