Coronavirus: Two deaths, 2,853 new cases recorded on Sunday (updated)

Two people died from coronavirus on Sunday as the ministry of health announced announced 2,853 new Covid cases.

The two deaths bring to 942 the number of people who have died since the start of the pandemic.

They refer to two women, aged 87 and 76 both of whom died on Sunday.

Meanwhile there are 203 people in hospital with Covid, of which 27 are in a serious condition, eight of whom are intubated.

Of all patients in hospital, 55.67 per cent have no history of vaccination.

The new cases were found among 78,818 tests, giving a positivity rate of 3.62 per cent.

The total number of Covid cases recorded since the start of the pandemic has now reached 439.802.

Of all tests on Sunday, 3,603 were PCR among which 144 new positives were found.

Meanwhile 76,215 rapid tests were carried out which turned up 2,709 positives.

A total of 959 tests were carried out on contacts of known cases, which found a further 82.

In addition 27,735 rapid and 1,399 tests were taken on private initiative among which 1,190 and 83 new cases were found respectively.

Through the ministry of health’s testing programme a total of 48,480 tests were carried out, among which there were 1,430 positives.

Elsewhere, 68 tests were carried out in care homes and two new cases found, while 2,720 were carried out in closed facilities and five new cases found.