VALLETTA, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Malta will continue to ease its COVID-19 restrictions next Monday, and the country plans to lift nearly all coronavirus measures by the beginning of summer.

The four-household indoor gathering rule will be removed from Monday, and the quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated close contacts of COVID-19 cases will be reduced by half to seven days, said Health Minister Chris Fearne on Friday.

From Feb. 21, this mandatory quarantine period will be five days only.

The quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated arrivals from countries listed as dark red will also be reduced to ten days from 14 as from Feb. 14.

Fully vaccinated children aged between five and 11 years will no longer be required to take a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test prior to travel, he said.

The rules on vaccine certificates will also be changed next Monday. Such certificates will no longer be required for entry to restaurants, bars and clubs.

However, certificates will continue to be needed for entry to mass events, sports events, gaming halls, nightclubs and for travel.

"If things continue to go well, our aim is to remove the majority of measures in place today at the end of spring or beginning of summer," Fearne said.

With fewer than 3,000 active cases in the country and a stable situation in hospitals, Fearne said the "exit roadmap" could continue.

On Friday, the health authorities reported 214 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of active cases to 2,675. The virus claimed one more victim, raising the COVID-19-related death toll to 560 in the country. Enditem

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