There were no deaths from coronavirus in the past 24 hours, as 41 new infections were detected in 49,462 tests, a positivity rate of 0.08 per cent, the health ministry said on Saturday.

The number of deaths from Covid since the pandemic broke out in March last year is 363 while recorded cases reached 72,750.

Forty-five people were being treated in hospital with 18 in serious or critical condition.

Of the 18 patients, 11 were intubated, one was being treated in the ICU without intubation, and six were in high dependency units.

The ministry said one of the new cases concerned a close contact of a previously confirmed case. It was detected among 26 samples.

Fifteen infections were found among 2,277 samples tested privately while two cases were detected in 679 tested by private labs and pharmacies using rapid antigen tests.

Twenty-three cases were detected in 43,877 samples tested as part of the government’s mass screening programme.