Coronavirus: Two deaths, 2,698 new infections (Updated)

Two deaths from coronavirus and 2,698 new infections were announced on Monday out of 132,177 PCR and rapid tests, a positivity rate of 2.04 per cent.

The deaths were a woman, aged 90, who died on Sunday and an 80-year-old man who died Monday. The new deaths brought the number of fatalities attributed to the virus to 825.

Meanwhile, the ministry said there are 164 in hospital with the virus of whom 40 are in serious condition, including 13 who are intubated.

Most hospitalised patients, about 69 per cent, are unvaccinated, the announcement added.

Another 27 patients who stopped being infectious are still treated in ICUs.

According to the ministry, the tests included 9,456 PCR from which 342 infections were traced, as well as 389 PCR tests as part of contact tracing which detected 32 cases.

Another 1,042 rapid tests were also carried out for contact tracing purposes and 94 cases were detected.

Meanwhile, 1,512 infections were traced after 63,945 rapid tests carried out privately, and another 208 following 1,875 PCR tests.

Some 58,776 tests were carried out at the free health ministry testing, including at schools and other state facilities, which resulted in the tracing of 844 infections.

Eight coronavirus cases were traced after 297 tests at the national guard, 52 after 1,376 tests in nursing homes and five after 1,337 tests in state services.

In total, 308,917 cases have been detected since the pandemic outbreak.

Authorities in the north announced new 408 coronavirus cases on Monday, after 26,197 tests.