Watch: Spike in COVID cases could be down to Santa Marija holidays

Updated 1.12pm
An increase in COVID-19 cases could be linked to increased social activity surrounding the Santa Marija holiday period, public health chief Charmaine Gauci has said.
Health authorities reported 76 new virus cases on Wednesday – the highest single-day tally in two weeks. The number of new daily cases had hovered between 35 and 50 over the past week.
Speaking during the Ask Charmaine fortnightly show, Gauci cited the Santa Marija holiday period as a possible cause for the slight spike in case numbers.“People were meeting together and many went abroad and would have been exposed. So this was to be expected,” she said.
Gauci however said that some more time would have to pass before health authorities could definitively link the spike to the holiday period.
Gauci was interviewed by Times of Malta news editor Diana Cacciottolo. 

COVID-19 patient breakdown
As of Wednesday, 31 patients out of the 683 active COVID-19 cases in the country were in hospital.
Gauci said “a number” of those patients were vaccinated, with many of them being elderly.
Of the two patients requiring intensive care, one is vaccinated and the other is not.“Over 90% of eligible people are fully...