Malta will require all travellers to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination as of next week, the country’s health minister announced on Friday in response to a spike in virus cases.

Proof of vaccination will be mandatory as of July 14, Health Minister Chris Fearne said. Children accompanying their parents will be required to present a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test while unaccompanied children will not be allowed to travel.

Malta currently recognises the EU Covid Pass, Britan’s National Health Service Covid Pass and Malta-issued vaccine certificates as valid for entry.

It is the first country in Europe to make vaccination a prerequisite for all incoming travellers. Malta currently only requires travellers from Britain to show proof of vaccination, with visitors from other European countries able to enter with a negative PCR test.

The enhanced entry requirements were announced hours after Malta reported 96 new virus cases – the fourth consecutive day when new cases doubled over a 24-hour period.

A majority of those cases have been linked to overseas travellers, with significant clusters of cases detected among students visiting Malta to study English as a foreign language.

Language schools will be temporarily closed as of Wednesday, Fearne said.

Despite the rise in cases, just three patients are currently in hospital, in what the minister said was resounding proof of the importance of vaccination.

Malta has the highest vaccination rate in Europe, with 79 per cent of adults fully vaccinated and 84 per cent having received at least one vaccine dose.