The health ministry announced that two people had died of Covid-19 and that 1,730 had tested positive from 77,336 PCR and rapid tests, a positivity rate of 2.24 per cent.

The deaths concerned two men aged 81 and 94, taking the total for two years to 877.

There are 129 people in hospitals of whom 30 are in serious condition. Of these, 14 are intubated.

The ministry said that the percentage of unvaccinated patients was 55 per cent.

From the tests carried out, 2,688 were PCR detecting 92 positives, and 74,648 were rapid tests detecting 1,638 positives.

Some 951 close contacts were tracked producing 77 positives. The remainder were either private initiative tests or were taken at the free testing sites of the health ministry.

Nursing homes: saw 79 rapid tests with no positives while 1,859 tests were done in closed structures, producing one positive.