[WATCH] 13 news cases of COVID-19, 38 recoveries reported

Malta registered 13 new cases on Thursday, after 1,022 swab tests were carried out in the last 24 hours. 

Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci said that since the start of the pandemic, Malta conducted 21,164 swab tests.

The number of positive cases recorded has returned to double digits, with the country having registered single-digit growth since Sunday. 

New cases

The new cases include a 28-year-old man from Sri Lanka, who was in contact with another case, but remained under quarantine. 

A 22-year-old Maltese woman who works as a health care worker at St Vincent de Paule residence, was already in quarantine, after having come in contact with a positive patient. 

A 46-year-old woman who was delivering groceries to other people tested positive for the virus, after developing symptoms on April 9. Contact tracing is underway. 

A 38-year-old man from New Guinea, and a separate case of a 60-year-old man who only had contact with another relative tested positive. 

Another case involved a 59-year-old woman who was only in contact with one relative. 

A Maltese man, 44, tested positive for the virus, and went to work despite showing symptoms. Contact tracing of colleagues and family members is underway. 

A 58-year-old man wo lives in Malta and was admitted to hospital for a separate issue, tested positive for the virus when a standard testing procedure was carried out on him.

A 69-year-old woman initially tested negative for the virus, but when in hospital, she had difficulties breathing, and when tested again, the result cane out as positive. 

The remaining four cases were that of residents at the Hal Far Open Centre, who are citizens of Bangladesh, Gambia and two from Sudan. 

38 patients fully recover    

Another 38 patients have recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total to 82, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced this morning.

Taking to social media Fearne again urged the public to stay safe.

A person is considered to have recovered from the virus when they remain symptom-free for a number of days and following two consecutive negative tests for COVID-19.