Two men who tested positive for COVID-19 in mid-September have died at Mater Dei Hospital, the Health Ministry said on Friday morning.

Another person died on Friday morning. Details about this case will be issued later in the day, Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci said during a press briefing. 

One of the patients - a 90-year-old man who was admitted to the hospital on September 27, died on Thursday. He had tested positive on September 15.

A second patient, aged 78, tested positive on September 10 and was admitted to Mater Dei five days later. He died overnight.

Their death follows that of an 85-year-old man who passed away on Tuesday. Malta has registered 38 COVID-19 deaths since March.

The ministry said both men had underlying health conditions.

It offered condolences to their families and called on the public to follow the Health Department's advice on frequent hand washing, social distancing and the wearing of masks.

Earlier this week the Superintendent of Public Health said that most COVID-19 victims had a pre-existing heart condition called congestive heart failure, which is most common in older people.

Over the past days Malta registered the highest COVID-19 death rate in the EU per 100,000 people over 14 days.