The Latvian Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has advised Latvian citizens against travel to Malta due to the COVID-19 situation.

Health authorities have calculated the safety of European countries based on a 14-day cumulative incidence as of 22nd May, with Malta ranking 6th with an incidence rate of 25.6. The Maltese islands have been graded red alongside Sweden, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Ireland, and Portugal.

Interestingly, although Latvian citizens are being warned to carefully consider their travels to Spain (ranking 7th) and Italy (ranking 8th), among other countries, two of the worst-hit European countries, have been graded yellow. This is because the two countries have a lower number of infections per capita.

Latvian authorities have based their data on a pre-set limit of 25 infections for each 100,000 inhabitants in the country. Malta currently has 125 active cases with a population standing around 400,000.

Latvia was being considered by local authorities as one of nine potential countries with which Malta could open safe 'travel corridors' with, as the tourism industry attempts to get on its feet following the first wave of COVID-19.