Authorities on Thursday announced two more deaths attributed to Covid-19, while testing detected 2,457 positives to the coronavirus.

The latest fatalities were both men; one aged 74 who passed away on Wednesday; the other a 52-year-old who died on Thursday.

That takes the Covid death toll since March 2020 to 952.

Meanwhile hospitals were treating 208 patients, of whom 30 were said to be in a serious condition. Of the 30 serious cases, five were intubated, two in ICU but not on a ventilator, and 23 in high-depedency units.

In addition, 15 post-Covid patients (no longer infectious) continued to be intubated.

The health ministry reported that 60.1 per cent of those in hospital did not have a record of vaccination.

Earlier in the day the health minister conceded that of the people listed as Covid patients in hospitals, 30-50 per cent were there for other reasons and had happened to test positive.

The day’s 79,334 tests tracked 2,457 positives – representing a positivity rate of 3.1 per cent.

Contact tracing found 64 positives from 649 samples; private initiative tracked 1,657 positives from 32,001 samples; and the government’s screening programmes detected 738 positives from 45,580 tests.

Notably, the Test-to-Stay programme came up with 25 positives from 3,031 tests; and 1,289 tests at nursing homes found 22 people positive to the coronavirus.

From April 15, cases will only be announced once a week instead of daily, the ministry said on Thursday.