VALLETTA, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Malta has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the new Omicron XE variant of COVID-19, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Friday.

       "This new variant is more infectious, so we are going to see a slight increase in community transmission," Fearne told a press conference.

       However, there has not been a rise in cases presenting severe symptoms or complications, he added.

       According to the World Health Organization, Omicron XE is around 10 percent more transmissible than the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron.

       There are 1,548 active COVID-19 cases in Malta, with 187 new cases reported on Friday. This is the highest daily number of cases in the island country since the end of April.

       Currently, 31 COVID-19 patients are in hospital, with two in intensive care.