Sixteen new coronavirus deaths were announced by the health ministry on Friday as 2,154 infections were recorded in the past week.

The cases were detected from 60,841 rapid and PCR tests carried out from August 19 to 25, resulting in a positivity rate of 3.54 per cent.

During that period, eight people died from coronavirus, aged 78 to 99. The ministry also announced the death of a 65-year-old woman who died on August 18, as well as another seven people who died between April and August this year.

This brings the total number of people who died due to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic outbreak to 1,168.

There are 57 patients with coronavirus in hospital, of whom nine are in serious condition and five intubated.

Furthermore, two patients remain intubated at the hospital due to Covid after they stopped being infectious.

According to the ministry’s report, most new cases, 1,866, were traced through a rapid test carried out privately, while just 106 people tested positive during testing as part of the health ministry’s free programmes.

Meanwhile, some 27 cases were detected in nursing homes.