VALLETTA. Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Malta's health authorities on Wednesday reported a record 582 new COVID-19 cases and two fatalities (males aged 52 and 53), bringing the cumulative death toll to 473 since the start of the pandemic.
The previous record of new daily cases - 401 -- was reported in March last year. The new Omicron coronavirus variant has still not been found in Malta.
The number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 symptoms has increased by seven to 47 in the past 24 hours, with four of them being treated in intensive care.
The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses said in a statement on Wednesday that the situation at the island's only state-run hospital was reaching breaking point since there were also many patients who have other illnesses, primarily the seasonal influenza.
The union called on the health authorities to postpone non-urgent surgeries to ease the pressure on the hospital and criticized the government for not stepping up the measures to curb the spread of the virus. Enditem