A 70-year old man on Saturday became the latest COVID-19 patient to die. 

Health authorities said the man tested positive for the virus on Tuesday and was hospitalised that same day. He had underlying health conditions. 

Authorities offered condolences to the family and appealed to the public to continue following directives aimed at limiting the spread of the virus, namely frequent hand-washing, social distancing, and use of face masks. 

A total of 39 COVID-19 patients have now died since March. 

Earlier this week, Malta's COVID-19 mortality rate became the highest in Europe after shooting up past Spain to reach 3.6 deaths per 100,000 people over the past two weeks. 

The number of deaths has spiked in recent weeks after a number of cases were detected in homes for the elderly. Around a quarter of all deaths since March have been cases from these homes. 

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