Three patients have died while testing positive for COVID-19, Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci said today.

A total of 717 new cases of the virus were found over the last 24 hours, Gauci continued, noting that a new subvariant of the Omicron virus – the BA.2 strain – is more contagious than its predecessors.

The BA.2 strain accounts for 86% of the cases in Malta.

There are currently 100 patients in hospital positive with the virus, with four in intensive care. 216 patients have recovered over the same time period.

There are 5,783 active cases.

Since Monday, the government has stopped publishing the daily COVID-19 numbers due to staff shortages – something that has been welcomed by many in Malta.