Three coronavirus-linked deaths have been confirmed in Lithuania over the last 24 hours, following the first death reported on March 21.

The latest Covid-19 victim passed away in Panevėžys. The man had been in hospital since March 12 and belonged to a risk group, the Ministry of Health said, meaning that he was elderly or had chronic health conditions.

“The patient died today at around 11:00, he had the coronavirus. He had been in treatment since March 11 and belonged to a risk group, had many concomitant conditions,” Panevėžys Hospital spokesman Vytautas Riaubiškis told BNS.

The man in his 60s returned to Lithuania from South Africa and was hospitalised at Panevėžys Hospital for gastroenerocolitis, or inflammation of stomach and intestines. Only later was he diagnosed with the coronavirus, the hospital's head Arvydas Skorupskas said last week.

The patient's condition was severe and his lungs required ventilation.

Mobile coronavirus testing station in Vilnius / J. Stacevičius/LRT

The three other deaths are all linked to Ukmergė Hospital in northeastern Lithuania. The latest patient died from the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, Darius Varnas, head of Ukmergė Region administration, said on Facebook.

"The person was a patient of Ukmergė Hospital. It was an elderly person, that's a local case," Rolanda Lingienė, director of Vilnius Department of the National Public Health Centre, later confirmed to BNS.



The Health Ministry said earlier on Wednesday that a 90-year-old woman with Covid-19 passed away in Santara Clinics in Vilnius on Tuesday night.



The woman was discharged from hospital in Ukmergė on March 16, but was taken to Santara Clinics in Vilnius on Monday because of fever and general weakness, the Ministry of Health said.

Following tests, she was diagnosed with the coronavirus and transferred to the intensive care unit.

“It's very sad that Lithuania has not managed to avoid deaths from the coronavirus infection. I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to the woman's family,” Health Minister Aurelijus Veryga said.

Another woman who died from the coronavirus in Lithuania last Friday was also treated in Ukmergė Hospital and might have contracted the virus there. The elderly woman was discharged from the hospital on March 19 and was later taken back to the hospital's emergency room where she soon passed away.

Vilnius County Police is now carrying out a pre-trial investigation into the spread of the coronavirus in Ukmergė and also into the death of the first woman.

The hospital in Ukmergė / S. Jakučionis/LRT

Parliament staffer diagnosed with coronavirus

A staff member at the Office of the Seimas has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the parliament said on Wednesday.

The office has identified several people in the Lithuanian parliament, Seimas, who came into contact with the infected person, according to the press release.

The Office of the Seimas and the parliament's committees and commissions are currently working remotely to the extent that it is possible and will continue to do so, it said.

The Seimas is scheduled to hold plenary meetings next Tuesday, but MPs will be able to watch the debates from their offices and come to the plenary hall only for voting.

The Lithuanian parliament, Seimas / BNS

Forty-six new cases



The Lithuanian Health Ministey reported 46 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday morning, bringing the country's total to 255.



The first woman who tested positive for the coronavirus in late February has already recovered.

In all, three people have died from the coronavirus in Lithuania.