Today’s news that one person has recovered from COVID-19 but a further seven have tested positive means that Malta’s total number of active cases has gone up for the first time in nearly a month.

Ever since 17th April, the islands had been registering a downward trend, going from 328 active cases that day down to 58 over the last weekend (the tally remained the same on both Saturday and Sunday).

Now, however, there are 64 active cases of COVID-19.

On the couple of days preceding 17th April, Malta’s numbers had fluctuated quite significantly. Active cases had dropped from 352 to 314… only to go back up to 328 the following day. It was from that point that the islands’ active cases started going down every single day, a run which was eventually broken earlier today, a whole 24 days later.

An easing of COVID-19 restrictions – which involved the reopening of most non-essential retail outlets and the increase of number of people allowed to congregate in public – was announced 10 days ago.