Malta has confirmed 158 new COVID-19 cases today, marking the highest single day rise in cases since November.

This comes after 2,602 swab tests were carried out over the past 24 hours.

There were also 74 new recoveries, putting Malta’s total active cases to 1,702.

Of the 158 new cases, 10 of them were from social gatherings .

Moreover, four people died from COVID-19 overnight, raising the total death count in Malta to 226.

The first case involved a 96-year-old woman who had tested positive for the virus on 17th December. She passed away in the Good Samaritan Long-Term Care Facility.

The second case involved a 72-year-old woman who had tested positive on 1st January. She passed away yesterday in Mater Dei.

An 83-year-old man was the third death, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Boxing Day, and died earlier today in Mater Dei.

And an 85-year-old woman was the fourth death, testing positive for the virus on Boxing Day as well, and passing away earlier today.