63 new coronavirus cases, investigations underway

COVID-19 update for 16 August | 63 new cases, 11 recoveries • 537 active cases

16 August 2020, 1:01pm
by Kurt Sansone

1 min read

After making it mandatory for masks to be worn in shops, on the Gozo ferry and public transport, government is now considering new rules to enforce social distancing as it tries to combat a surge in coronavirus cases

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Malta has recorded 63 new coronavirus cases overnight and 11 recoveries, the Health Ministry said, bringing the number of active cases up to 537.

The ministry said in a Facebook communication that the new cases were still being investigated. This is the second highest number of new cases notified after yesterday’s record number of 72.

As from today, as per new direction from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the health ministry’s figures for new cases and recoveries do not include migrants who disembarked in Malta and were placed in quarantine upon arrival.

The ministry said that from Saturday’s cases, 10 were linked to the Paceville cluster, seven cases were family members of previously reported cases, nine were in direct contact with active cases, six were colleagues of previously reported cases and four were imported.

The health authorities have been scrambling to carry out contact tracing of new cases, an exercise made more difficult by the high numbers.

Since the start of the pandemic Malta registered 1,306 cases, including nine deaths.

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Robert Abela said new rules to enforce social distancing will be introduced and a decision on Paceville will have to be taken.

Kurt Sansone is Executive Editor of MaltaToday. He was formerly deputy editor of MaltaTod...