40 new cases of COVID-19 bring total active cases up to 351

40 new cases of COVID-19 have been registered overnight, according to figures released by the Health Ministry.

They follow on from a total of 49 cases registered on Friday.

That brings the total up to 351 active cases, and a total of 1,035 cases, with zero recoveries.

The new cases included six linked to an English-language school cluster, four cases from the Paceville cluster, seven cases traced back to a confirmation party, four family contacts of a previously-known case, and two imported cases. The rest are sporadic.

Since the start of the pandemic in March, 675 people have recovered from the virus and nine patients have died.

In the past 24 hours, 1,548 swab tests were carried out, with a grand total of 139,979 tests having been carried out so far on the island.

Government is facing growing criticism over its handling of the situation in the face of the latest surge of cases and the authorities' reluctance to ban mass events. New rules now limit the organisation of outdoor mass events to a maximum of 300 people and a maximum of 100 people if held indoors.

A €50 fine has also been introduced for those who do not wear a face mask in shops, on public transport and the Gozo ferry.