The government has confirmed that the latest Covid-19 victim contracted the virus in hospital.

It was replying to claims made by the family of the 86-year-old who became the 12th victim of the virsu in Malta last Sunday.

In a statement, the government said that the person in question had been admitted to Mater Dei Hospital for the first time on 9 August.

A routine swab test was negative. The man's condition worsened on 23 August and another test was carried out, and this time it was positive.

In the ward where the patient had been recovering a contact tracing exercise among other patients and staff had resulted in all negative results.

The elderly man had been transferred to the IDU on 24 August and died last Sunday.

The family of the latest Covid-19 victim had claimed that the 86-year-old man contracted the virus while in hospital.

On Sunday, the health authorities announced that the man had entered Mater Dei Hospital and tested positive for the virus after routine tests carried out on all patients who are admitted to a ward.

In a statement, the family said that the man had not tested positive when he first entered hospital. He was swabbed on admittance and tested negative, the family said.

He had been admitted to hospital on 9 August for a separate health issue, and not on 23 August as the health authorities said.

The man had been in hospital for two weeks before testing positive, and dying a week later.

"All the reports suggest that he had contracted the illness prior to being admitted into hospital, where in reality he had contracted the illness during his time at the hospital,” the family said.