A 5-year-old girl who died over the weekend may have had Covid-19 and the health authorities are investigating, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Tuesday.
The young girl developed a fever on Friday, before being admitted to Mater Dei Hospital on Saturday in a critical condition, where she was intubated and put on a ventilator.
She however sadly passed away soon after, despite being administered CPR by medical staff.
Fearne said that she had tested negative for Covid-19 when she was swabbed on Friday, but a second Covid-19 test administered after her death as a standard procedure when an autopsy may be needed turned back a “mildly reactive” result.
A magistrate is now leading an inquiry in order to establish the girl’s cause of death.
Fearne said that the press conference was being done in order to quell rumours about the girl’s death which were spreading, but called on the public to respect the privacy of the family at this difficult time.
He said that there are no words which can describe or support the family of the young girl enough, but that the government’s solidarity was with her family and friends.
A cousin of the young girl posted on Facebook, urging people to wait for the forensic tests before jumping to conclusions on her cause of death.
The press conference can be followed live here – refresh the page for updates.