Updated 10.29am

A 19-year-old woman tested positive for the coronavirus late on Friday, becoming the thirteenth known COVID-19 patient in Malta.

She is believed to have contracted the virus while in Brussels between March 4 and 8 and first began reporting symptoms three days later, on March 11. 

The Health Ministry, which announced the case, said she was in a good condition. 

Speaking a press conference on Saturday morning, Superintendent for Public Health Charmaine Gauci said that the woman is a student who had attended one lecture since returning to Malta. Authorities are contact tracing anyone she may have been in touch with. 

She lives with her parents and sister and the entire family is now in quarantine. 

She is the third COVID-19 patient to have been diagnosed as positive for COVID-19 after returning from Belgium and returned to Malta from the country on the same day as patient number eight - March 8. 

Woman released from hospital

In more positive news, the Health Ministry said that one of the first patients to have tested positive for the virus had been released from Mater Dei Hospital and was now in quarantine at home, after she tested negative for the virus twice. 

The two tests were carried out with 24 hours of each other.

That means that, according to World Health Organization guidelines, she has technically recovered from COVID-19.

However, researchers in China have reported cases of people who test negative subsequently retesting as positive up to 13 days later.

If you have coronavirus symptoms dial 111 or 2132 4086. 

If you are stuck abroad and need assistance dial 00356 2204 2200.

If you are in quarantine and need help, including food or medicine delivery, dial 2141 1411.

If you need education-related advice, dial 2598 1000.

Correction March 14: A previous version stated that the patient contracted the virus after returning from Belgium. In fact, she was tested and diagnosed as positive after her return.  

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