Vaccination drive continues on Christmas Day as world celebrates in the shadow of COVID-19

The booster vaccination drive continues on Christmas Day with festivties marred by an explosion in COVID-19 cases.

On Christmas Eve, Malta hit a daily record of 955 new infections as hospitalisations shot up to 70. Five people are being treated in the ITU.

Health Minister Chris Fearne said the COVID vaccine booster dose drive is continuing on Christmas Day with health workers inoculating people in health centres across the country.

The booster dose is currently being administered to all those aged 35 and over. Booster dose registration opens to all adults above 18 from Monday.

At the same time, children between 5 and 11 are being invited to get vaccinated with the health authorities urging parents and guardians to get their children inoculated.

Fearne thanked all health professionals for their work in a Facebook post.

Malta has experienced a surge of cases like the rest of Europe on the back of the Omicron variant, which has proved to be highly transmissible but so far less severe.

The health authorities detected the Omicron variant this week as new measures were introduced to try and curb the spread.

From Monday, establishments have to close at 1am and organised standing events cannot be held. The national New Year's Eve celebrations in Valletta have been cancelled.