A total of 100 swabs for the Covid-19 virus have all resulted negative, the Superintendence for Public Health, Charmaine Gauci told MaltaToday.

These swabs are part of a precautionary run conducted by the health authorities on suspected cases of the virus.

"All 100 swabs have resulted negative. Right now we are conducting another run of swabs," Gauci said on Thursday afternoon.

Asked whether Sir Paul Boffa Hospital in Floriana will be used as an isolation unit for potential Covid-19 cases, Gauci replied in the negative.

"It's not Boffa. We have another location outside Mater Dei Hospital which has been in the government's hands for a long time and which currently has a capacity of 12 beds," she said, without divulging the location.

The coronavirus cases now number 96,809 with 3,308 reported deaths. 54,975 have recovered, putting the recovery rate at 94%.

In recent days, China has reported 160 new cases, South Korea has reported 467, Iran with 591 and Germany reported 182 new cases. Italy has not seen any new cases in the last two days.

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