Malta back on ECDC orange list following increase in COVID-19 cases

Malta has been downgraded from green to orange travel by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), as the number of COVID cases in the country continues to increase.

The orange list includes countries for which the 14-day notification rate for active cases is between 75 and 200 and the test positivity rate is less than four per cent.

While the ECDC travel list acts as a guideline to EU member states, it is up to each country how it classify others.

Over the past two weeks, active cases have risen from 250 to over 700. Hospitalisations and deaths have however remained stable and there are currently 15 patients in hospital, with three being in intensive care.

In positive news, Malta’s booster shot programme can be considered an ongoing success, with 85,000 shots administered already.

And it's not just Malta that's seeing a rise in cases - practically all EU countries are listed on the orange and red list.

Malta was only put back on the ECDC green list in September, having spent all summer on the orange or red list.

Countries with the lowest infection and positivity rates are classified as green, followed by those in orange, then red. Countries that are hit particularly badly are listed in the dark red category.