Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1279544
5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 19 AUGUST 2020 NEWS Coronavirus CYPRUS has banned arrivals from Malta, apart from return- ing travellers, after a recent spike in COVID-19 cases. Those returning home will also be required to quaran- tine for 14 days after they return, according to local media. Malta along with Australia and Spain have been down- graded from a Category A, which meant no travel restric- tions, to Category C, which means that travellers from Malta are banned except for Cypriot residents returning home. The ban comes into effect tomorrow. Cyprus is the latest country to put into place travel re- striction after the UK placed Malta on its quarantine list. Last week Italy announced that it required a COVID-19 test for people arriving from Malta, Croatia, Spain and Greece after multiple groups of Italians returned home from holiday infected. Denmark, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands have also imposed travel restrictions. As well as Ireland, and three other Baltic countries. Those returning to Greece from Malta must provide negative COVID-19 test in order to travel, dating back no more than 72 hours. LAUR A CALLEJA 48 new cases of COVID-19 have been registered overnight between Monday and Tuesday, according to the latest figures released by the Health Ministry. The ministry said that nine of yes- terday's cases were related to elderly care homes, five were family members of previously known cases, four were direct contacts of known cases, three were work colleagues of positive cases, two formed part of the Mount Carmel cluster, two formed part of the lan- guage schools cluster and one formed part of the Paceville cluster. Seven more people have since recov- ered from the virus. The number of ac- tive cases now stands at 648. Since the start of the pandemic in March, 766 people have recovered from the virus and nine patients have died. In the past 24 hours, 2,124 swab tests were carried out, with a grand total of 161,057 tests having been carried out so far on the island. 48 new COVID-19 cases, nine linked to elderly care homes Cyprus bans travel from Malta, except for residents returning home BULGARIA, Romania and Spain are the first countries on Malta's new am- ber list. The list was introduced on Mon- day, as part of new measures aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 in Malta, although the countries were only identified on Tuesday af- ternoon. People arriving from countries on the amber list will need to produce a COVID-19 negative result recorded within the 72 hours preceeding their travel to Malta. Those who do not produce the cer- tificate will either have to do a swab test at the Malta International Air- port or go into quarantine. This will come into force at midnight on Fri- day. Countries on the amber list include Bulgaria, Romania and Spain. The amber list only applies to Spanish passengers arriving from Barcelona, Girona and Madrid. A statement by the health ministry said the list will be updated regulary. Bulgaria,Romania and Spain on Malta's new amber list