LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – As Covid cases continuing to fall in Malta, the government announced further decisions to drop pandemic mandates. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne revealed that as from next Monday, valid vaccine certificates will no longer be needed by restaurants, bars and social clubs owners. Visiting hours at Mater Dei hospital will be extended and the restriction limiting private home gatherings will be completely removed. Standing weddings with a maximum of 300 guests can be held as from 1 April but the number of fully vaccinated guests will remain 500 for seated weddings.
Fearne added that individuals found positive through a primary contact will only be required to stay five days in quarantine but a negative test will be needed before leaving quarantine. Secondary contacts will not be required to go into quarantine.
It was also announced that the quarantine period will be reduced from 14 to 10 days to those passengers entering Malta from a red listed country. Third country nationals with work permits will no longer need to quarantine at a hotel but at a fixed residence.
Fearne said based on the current data, if the forecast remains the same, most Covid-19 mitigating measures will be removed by the end of spring.
Meanwhile, Covid-19 claimed five more lives in the last 24 hours, with two women aged 84 and 87, and three men aged 80, 83 and 86, died while Covid positive. The number of people who died since the beginning of the pandemic in Malta now stands at 565. 86 patients are being treated for Covid-19 in hospital, six of whom are in intensive care.
In Saturday’s medical bulletin, the local health authorities said that 195 new cases were confirmed. With 310 recoveries, the number of active cases is 2,555.
1,220,359 vaccine doses have been administered to date, 333,738 of which are booster doses.
(ITALPRESS).
