Updated 7.30pm

Nine new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed over the past 24 hours, bringing Malta’s total number of cases up to 73.

Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci said the "majority" of patients are in a good medical condition and progressing well. Two have since recovered.

However, a patient who developed pneumonia will be moved into intensive hospital care, Gauci said, with his condition being "not so stable".

Rumours that the patient had passed away on Saturday night were denied by the health authorities.

Authorities carried out 233 swab tests on Friday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 tests conducted so far to 2,469.

Of the nine cases, four are believed to have been infected through recent trips abroad, three are believed to have been infected through contact with somebody who was recently abroad or infected, and three are cases of community transmission which authorities have not been able to trace.

Balzan pharmacy, BOV Ibraġ

Gauci acknowledged that a worker at a Balzan pharmacy was among those who tested positive on Friday.

Anyone who visited the pharmacy on Monday, March 16 or Tuesday, March 17 should self-isolate and contact authorities if symptoms emerged. There was no need to swab everyone who had visited the pharmacy those days, she said.

RELATED STORIES Pharmacies told to close by 6pm every day

Tests of people linked to a Bank of Valletta branch in Ibraġ all resulted negative, she said. BOV had closed down the branch on Friday as a precautionary measure.

New case details

Case 1:

A Maltese 21-year-old woman who was not abroad recently but had a relative who was in the UK until March 9.



The patient, a University student, developed symptoms on March 19. She had stopped attending university on March 10 and the case is therefore believed to be contained, with contact with just one family member.

Case 2:

A 44-year-old Somali man who lives in Malta and travelled to Brussels on March 12. He obeyed quarantine rules and the only contact he had was with two people he lives with.

Case 3:

A 43-year-old man who is not Maltese. He developed symptoms on March 15. Authorities do not know where he was infected from as he was not abroad or in contact with known cases.

Case 4:

A Maltese 55-year-old man who did not recently travel or come into contact with known cases. He became symptomatic on March 14 and had last been to work one day prior, on March 13.

Case 5:

A Maltese 25-year-old woman who lives in the UK and returned to Malta on March 19. She exhibited symptoms that same day and obeyed quarantine rules upon her return.

Case 6:

An Italian woman, 24, who lives in Australia but came to Malta. She transited via London and obeyed quarantine rules when she came to Malta. Her relatives have also been placed under quarantine.

Case 7:

A Maltese woman, 49. The woman did not travel recently, but another person who has tested positive for COVID-19 and knows her did. The woman works in a school but schools had already been shut when she began exhibiting symptoms on March 19. She last went to school on March 12.

Case 8:

An Indian man, 30, who is unemployed. He lives with someone who has already tested positive for COVID-19 and the entire household was already in quarantine.

Case 9:

A 68-year-old Maltese woman who returned to Malta from London on March 16 and was in quarantine. She exhibited symptoms on March 18 and was not in contact with other people.