Coronavirus: Two deaths and 1,414 new cases announced (updated)

The health ministry announced two deaths and 1,414 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday.

The new deaths were of two women, aged 82 and 83, bringing the total death toll to 984.

There are 183 people being treated for coronavirus in hospitals, 29 of whom are in serious condition. Of these, seven are intubated, four are in ICU without a ventilator, and 18 in a high dependency unit.

Of all patients, 48.09 per cent have no history of vaccination against Covid.

Eleven post-Covid patients who are no longer infectious are still intubated in the ICU.

A total of 54,299 PCR and rapid tests were carried out on Wednesday, giving a positivity rate of 2.6 per cent.

Of the 54,299 tests, 51,640 were rapid tests, with 1,242 cases found. The remaining 2,659 tests were PCR with 172 positives.

Most cases were detected through private initiative, with 735 detected from 22,535 rapid tests, and 132 from 1,067 PCR tests.

Another 445 cases were recorded after 13,717 rapid tests carried out through the health ministry’s testing programmes.

Meanwhile, seven people tested positive after 104 PCR tests carried out for contact tracing purposes.

A total of 9,356 rapid tests were carried out in secondary schools with 26 cases found, and 482 in special schools with two cases found.

Meanwhile, the test to stay programme turned up 20 positives from 2,254 tests.

Eleven more cases were detected from 1,091 samples taken from care homes, and three more from 2,205 rapid tests carried out in closed structures.

The total number of cases detected so far is 462,783.