An 86-year-old man has become Malta's 21st coronavirus victim - the sixth to die while positive for COVID-19 this week.

The health ministry said the patient tested positive on September 14 and was cared for at the home of the elderly he resided at.

He had underlying health conditions, the authorities said in a statement, offering their condolences to the family.

This has been Malta’s worst week since the start of the pandemic. Three of six deaths registered over the past seven days were recorded on Saturday.

Malta also registered a record number of new coronavirus cases with the highest daily tally of 106 new patients, recorded on Wednesday.