Status: 07/09/2021 7:14 p.m.
After an increase in the number of infections, Malta is closing its borders to travelers who are not fully vaccinated. Children need a negative test. Many of the new cases are due to language students.
After a significant increase in the number of corona infections, the government in Malta has tightened the regulations for entry. From Wednesday next week, travelers would have to show proof of vaccination, said Health Minister Chris Fearne. This closes the borders for travelers who are not fully vaccinated.
Malta is currently accepting the digital EU vaccination certificate, the NHS corona passport and the Maltese corona vaccination certificate for entry. Children who are accompanied by their parents need a negative PCR test.
The Maltese government is one of the first in Europe to make vaccination against Covid-19 a prerequisite for entering the country. So far, only UK holidaymakers have had to prove that they are fully vaccinated. A negative PCR test was sufficient for EU citizens.
Almost 80 percent fully vaccinated
The government of Malta was quick to press ahead with the vaccination campaign: 79 percent of adults are already fully vaccinated. At the end of June, the island nation had no more new infections, but the number of new cases has increased again in the past few days. Most recently it was 96 within a day.
According to Fearne, around 90 percent of infections affect unvaccinated people. Most of the cases could be traced back to foreign travelers, especially students visiting Malta to learn English. As of Wednesday, the government wants to close the language schools for the time being.