An 85-year-old man has become the third person in a day to die with Covid-19, with health authorities confirming his death on Saturday afternoon.
Authorities had already confirmed earler on Saturday that two women aged 72 and 86 respectively had died with Covid-19.
This means that a total of 20 people have now died while positive for the virus, and also means that more people have died since the start of what has been widely recognised as the second wave of the pandemic mid-way through July, than when the pandemic first hit between last March and May.
The Health Ministry said that the man tested positive for Covid-19 on 12 September when he was brought into Mater Dei Hospital. The man died in the hospital's Infectious Diseases Unit earlier today. Authorities said that he was suffering from other medical conditions.
The 72-year-old was taken to hospital on 11 August, and tested positive for Covid-19 the day after. She was transferred to the Intensive Therapy Unit on 15 August, where she remained for treatment.
She passed away overnight, the ministry said.
The Ministry said that the 86-year-old tested positive for the virus on 8 September, and was taken to hospital for treatment in the Intensive Therapy Unit on 16 September.
She too passed away overnight, the ministry said.
It is the second time that two Covid-19 cases died in the same day – two also died on 29 May, but the first time that three have died in on the same day.
The Ministry sent its condolences to the families of the three victims, and appealed to the public to continue to follow the Health Department’s appeals, especially on hand hygiene, social distancing, and the usage of face-masks.
As per the health authority's latest update and taking into consideration the news of the third death of the day, Malta now has 662 active cases of the virus.
Malta's previous deaths from the virus are listed below:
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
Tuesday 1 September – Man, 89, Mater Dei Hospital
Saturday 5 September – Man, 85, Mater Dei Hospital
Thursday 10 September – Man, 80, Mater Dei Hospital
Monday 14 September – Woman, 86, Mater Dei Hospital
Friday 18 September - Woman, 91, Mater Dei Hospital