An 89-year-old man became the 13th person to die with Covid-19 in Malta on Tuesday, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said that the man was admitted to Mater Dei Hospital on 23 August with various health conditions, when he was swabbed for Covid-19 as per standard procedure.
The swab test came back with a negative result, but the man was still given treatment in isolation at hospital because he had been in contact with a positive person while he was in the community.
He was discharged from hospital on the morning of 31 August and was not suffering from any symptoms. He was sent home, but his condition deteriorated rapidly and he was taken back to the Emergency Department at Mater Dei, where it was confirmed that he was positive for Covid-19.
The man died at Mater Dei Hospital earlier on Tuesday, the ministry said.
The Health Ministry passed its condolences on to the man's family, and appealed to the public to keep following the appeals made by the Health Department.
The other 12 recorded deaths were as follows:
Wednesday 8 April – Woman, 92, Gozo General Hospital
Thursday 9 April – Man, 79, Karin Grech Hospital
Saturday 11 April – Man, 84, Mater Dei Hospital
Saturday 25 April – Woman, 96, Mater Dei Hospital
Tuesday 5 May – Man, 81, Karin Grech Hospital
Wednesday 13 May – Man, 53, Mater Dei Hospital
Wednesday 27 May – Man, 97, Karin Grech Hospital
Friday 29 May – Man, 56, Mater Dei Hospital
Friday 29 May – Man, 68, Mater Dei Hospital
Friday 21 August – Man, 72, Mater Dei Hospital
Saturday 29 August - Woman, 86, Mater Dei Hospital
Sunday 30 August - Man, 86, Mater Dei Hospital