Malta becomes first EU country to ban unvaccinated visitors

Malta is closing its borders on July 14 to anyone who has not been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, following a spike in new cases, Health Minister Chris Fearne has announced.

"From Wednesday, July 14, anyone coming to Malta must be in possession of a recognized vaccination certificate: a Maltese certificate, a British certificate, or a European Union certificate," Fearne told reporters.

"We will be the first EU country to do so, but we need to protect our society," Fearne said.

Children traveling with parents will need to have a negative PCR test for the presence of the coronavirus infection. The restriction will apply to unvaccinated citizens planning to travel abroad.

Since the start of the pandemic, Malta has recorded nearly 30,900 coronavirus cases. 420 people have died of the infection, and over 30,000 have fully recovered.