[WATCH] Two new positive cases of COVID-19, recoveries increase by 12

Malta recorded two new cases of coronavirus overnight, following more than 1,000 swab tests.

One of the new cases is linked to a COVID-19 patient who had already been notified.

Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci said 12 more people fully recovered from the virus for a total of 351. There are now 110 active cases.

An elderly man who was recovering at Mater Dei Hospital was transferred to intensive care for better monitorring. Gauci said there were two people at ITU, one who has been there for several weeks.

She noted that the virus reproduction rate remained stable but would not indicate when government was expected to announce its transition strategy. "We are working on it and it will be announced in due course," she said when asked by MaltaToday.

She would neither commit on whether it is possible for premier league football matches to continue from 1 June behind closed doors.

Gauci said 80% of cases of COVID-19 in Malta reported symptoms of some sort, while 20% of people with the virus exhibited no symptoms. Of those without symptoms, 11% were people in the community, while the rest were residents of the Hal Far open centre.

Gauci said testing at the Hal Far centre continued but no positive cases were registered overnight.

She again called on people to respect social distancing measures because the figures for asymptomatic cases in the community showed that there were cases which have not yet been notified to the health authorities.

"There are people in the community who do not know they have the virus, which is why social distancing should be maintained," she added.

Gauci said Malta was doing well because people have been cooperating and urged everyone to continue respecting the directions given by the health authorities.