COVID19: 28 new deaths confirmed, cases falling

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Authorities reported another 28 COVID-19 deaths in the Health Ministry weekly bulletin on Friday, three of which were recorded in the past week.

New cases and hospitalisations dropped from last week’s levels to 5,472 and 71, respectively.

The Health Ministry announced 25 more deaths which were reported to the authority with a considerable delay.

The deaths involved people aged between 45 and 92 who lost their lives to COVID-19 from 27 January to 27 July this year.

For the three deaths recorded in the past week (28 July to 4 August), the youngest COVID victim was 55 years old and the oldest 92, two women and one man.

The week before, there were 11 deaths.

No deaths have been reported since 1 August.

Following the latest announcement, the updated number of COVID-19 deaths has risen to 1,143 since the pandemic started in March 2020.

Hospitalisations dropped over the week from 76 to 71. Critical cases, however, rose by three to 10, with seven intubated patients, four more than last week.

Three patients, still considered post-Covid, have shaken off the virus but remain intubated and in a serious state.

The total of all coronavirus infection cases since the pandemic rose to 562,911.

Daily rate under 1,000

The past week saw 5,472 new cases, about 1,500 less than previously, with the average daily rate dropping from 980 to 781.

Testing, however, has dropped to 84,505 PCR and rapid antigen tests conducted during the past week, 11,000 fewer than the week before.

The benchmark ‘positivity rate’ was 6.48% from last week’s 7.21%, spiking to a new year-high of 13.42% a fortnight ago.

Meanwhile, authorities are reportedly working on protocols for the return of school students to their classrooms in early September.

Experts advise the government to reintroduce school testing, while mask-wearing has not been tabled yet.