Malta has achieved herd immunity with COVID shots, says minister

Reuters

VALLETTA – Malta has vaccinated 70% of its adult population with at least one COVID-19 shot, becoming the first European Union country to achieve so-called herd immunity, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Monday.

The tiny Mediterranean island has had an average of three new virus cases each day in the past week, with the test positivity rate at a low of 0.2%. Two new cases were reported on Monday.

Vaccines are being administered at a rate of one every five seconds,” Fearne told a news conference. “Forty-two percent of the adult population has received two doses.”

Vaccination is currently open to all residents of Malta over the age of 16 and Fearne said children aged 12 and over would also be inoculated once European medical authorities give the go-ahead.

He also announced that mandatory wearing of masks outdoors would be lifted on July 1 for vaccinated people as long as virus cases remain low.

The health authorities had earlier announced that mask-wearing would no longer be necessary on beaches from June 1.

On Monday, restrictions on gyms and swimming pools were lifted, while the opening hours of restaurants were extended to midnight. They previously had to close at 5 p.m. 

رويترز

أعلن نائب رئيس وزارء مالطا كريس فيرن يوم /الاثنين/، أن بلاده استطاعت تحقيق حصانة مواطنيها وإعطائهم اللقاح ضد الإصابة بفيروس كورونا المستجد (كوفيد-19).

وقال فيرن – في مؤتمر صحفي حسبما ذكرت شبكة “سكاي نيوز” البريطانية – “اليوم لقد حققنا مناعة القطيع .. اللقاح هو سلاح مواجهة الفيروس”.

وأضاف نائب رئيس وزراء مالطا أنه سيتم رفع القيود المفروضة على ارتداء الكمامات الوقائية بدءا من يوليو القادم، إذا استمر انخفاض معدل الإصابات بالفيروس.

وأشارت الشبكة إلى أن 70% من سكان جزيرة مالطا تلقوا الجرعة الأولى من اللقاح ضد الفيروس، فيما تلقى 42% جرعتي اللقاح حتى الآن، لافتة إلى أنه يتم حاليا دعوة المواطنين التي تتراوح أعمارهم ما بين 16 وحتى 29 سنة لتلقي اللقاح.