[WATCH] 12 new cases of coronavirus, 24 more people have recovered

Malta has so far registered 443 cases of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic early last month with 12 new positive cases registered overnight.

Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci also announced that 24 more people have recovered, bringing the total of recovered cases to 150.

One person remains in ITU on a ventilator but his condition is good.

The new cases include three more people from the Hal Far open centre, which is currently under mandatory quarantine. There were 41 cases in total at the migrant open centre since the first cases were recorded there more than a fortnight ago.

The country has been experiencing a slowdown in the number of new cases over the past few days but despite the positive results, the health authorities have insisted social distancing measures must be respected. Gauci said there was still community spread going on.

Asked whether she was considering introducing fines for people who miss swabbing tests, Gauci said the authorities were "speaking to these people to try and understand why they did not turn up". She was non-commital on whether fines should be introduced.

On Monday, she appealed on people who had booked swabbing appointments not to miss their test after several individuals failed to turn up over the weekend.

READ ALSO: Health authorities worried about people not turning up for COVID-19 tests

New cases

The new cases registered overnight include three men from the Hal Far open centre aged 22, 30 and 41. They also include a family cluster of three - two men aged 34 and 32, and a woman aged 62 - who are relatives of a previously registered positive case.

Another two people from the same family, an 81-year-old man and 48-year-old man, registered positive and contact tracing was underway for the younger man.

The only female case was that of a 27-year-old office worker.

A 50-year-old Indian male, a 33-year-old Syrian and 38-year-old Ethiopian living in the community made up the rest of the cases.

Gauci said the Ethiopian man first experienced symptoms on 1 April and got in touch with the authorities but tests resulted negative. He experienced worsening symptoms over time and a second test found that he had COVID-19.

"It is difficult to say whether on 1 April the man already had the coronavirus and this was below the threshold to be picked up by our tests, or whether he had some other virus and only later contracted COVID-19," Gauci said, reiterating the importance of people remaining indoors until all symptoms are gone.

Contact tracing was underway to determine who may have come in contact with the man over the past 20 days. Four other people who live with him are now being tested.