[WATCH] COVID-19: One death as Malta registers 94 new cases and 110 recoveries

Malta has registered one more death today together with 94 new cases of COVID-19. 

A 92-year-old man was Malta's 183rd COVID-related death. He tested positive on December 7, and died yesterday at St Vincent de Paul.

There are currently 69 patients being treated at Mater Dei - 18 are being held at the ITU, 12 in the IDU, and 39 among other wards.

There are 84 patients at the Good Samaritan facility, together with five at Boffa Hospital, nine at St Thomas Hospital, and one patient being treated at Mount Carmel. 

The number of cases in elderly homes has decreased, but there are still a few cases being registered daily at six different homes. 

Household and workplace clusters continue to dominate, with social gatherings close behind. There are 139 cases involved in household clusters, and 86 within workplace clusters. Cases contracted from social gatherings stand at 18.

The moving average of COVID-19 cases has gone below 100 at 84 new cases.

So far, 9,780 persons have recovered from the virus. 

Gauci urges the public to remain vigilant in light of the news of a vaccination strategy. She explains that there are still viruses spreading within the community, and if anyone develops any symptoms one should register for a swab test. "It's the only way you can find out if it's COVID-19," she said.

She pointed out the new swab test booking website, which allows the public to register for a swab test online.

Over the past week, 1,318 tests have been conducted at Malta International Airport, with eight positive cases discovered.

COVID-19 vaccine

The vaccine will not be mandatory for health care workers and the general public. "Every one knows the devastation brought about by this pandemic. They have seen its effects. I understand that there have been studies on vaccine hesitancy. One needs to take into consideration when the study was conduct and take it into context," Prof. Gauci says.

"Everyone is free to decide whether to take the jab or not. We will be doing a campaign on the vaccine," she adds.

Regarding a timeline of the vaccination programme, she explained that this depends on how many doses will be manufactured, making it hard to determine a timeline. 

On allergies, Gauci explains that those suffering from such allergies or skin conditions have no contraindication to getting the vaccine. However, those suffering from serious conditions should speak to a professional first.

There will be an information campaign rolled out by the health authorities on the Covid-19 vaccines which will raise awareness about the benefits of getting vaccinated.

She further emphasised the importance of taking both vaccine doses and adhering to all restrictive measures between doses. The Pfizer - BioNTech vaccine's first dose will give you about 52% immunity which will go up to about 95% on the second dose.

"It is important to adhere to the restrictive measures to minimise risks," she adds.

Take-home test kits

PCR tests and rapid tests are available. Prof. Gauci says she is aware of a take home kit being sold. She explains that there is a technique to carry out a swab.

She advised against using take-home swabs as people could risk not conducting the test well, and thus giving a false negative.

"These tests [take home tests] are dangerous. We're at advantage in Malta - we've got free access to swabbing," she states.