Fearne: No new COVID-19 measures expected for the summer

Health Minister Chris Fearne has ruled out introducing any additional restrictions to combat COVID-19 for the coming summer, saying that the current number of new infections is no cause for concern.

Fearne was answering questions after inaugurating a government clinic in Marsascala. 

He said that the government had never had a zero Covid policy, however desirable a situation of new cases was, and the goal had always been to maintain resources and provide the best care possible in hospitals.

"The number of cases in hospital is low and at the moment it doesn't worry us," he said.

"At this stage, by which I mean for the coming summer, we don't see the need to introduce any additional measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19."

Case numbers have been creeping up in the past few weeks. On Thursday 153 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Thursday with 44 patients in hospital, four in intensive care.

The new clinic, in St Anne's gardens, will open its doors to patients from next Monday.

Serving some 15,000 residents, the clinic will provide nurse-led services as well as an on-call doctor, podiatry, physiotherapy, speech language pathology and blood testing services.