The health ministry announced that 18 deaths attributed to Covid-19 occurred during the past week, while 6,115 people tested positive.

The health ministry’s data covers the period from 15-21 April and found that there are 108 people in hospital with Covid-19, 25 of whom are in serious condition. Eight are intubated. Of those in hospital who have tested positive for Covid, 44.45 per cent are unvaccinated.

The deaths concern seven men aged 84, 76, 86, 83, 73, 77 and 102, and 11 women aged 89, 81, 83, 98, 62, 90, 84, two aged 94 and two aged 87, a total of 18 people.

The health ministry does not release the vaccination or medical history (such as underlying health conditions) of those whose deaths are attributed to Covid-19.

During the past week, 269,310 tests picked up the 6,115 positives, yielding a positivity rate of 2.27 per cent.

The latest data raise the total reported infection count to 470,319 and the number of deaths attributed to Covid-19 to 1,006.

The overwhelming majority of last week’s tests were rapid tests which totaled 252,779.
Notably, the health ministry’s 18,220 tests carried out in primary schools picked up just 53 positives – a positivity rate of 0.29 per cent. In secondary schools, the 6,779 tests identified 13 positives.

The test-to-stay programme carried out 1,565 tests and picked up 15 positives.

Care homes, however, had a positivity rate of 1.1 per cent which was recorded following the 7,349 tests which identified 81 positives.

The ministry’s Covid-19 data release on Friday is the first in the weekly update format, replacing the previous programme of daily bulletins.