Another person has died from Covid-19, bringing the island’s death toll from the virus to 159.

According to figures released by the Department of Health last night, there are now only five active cases on the island, down from 15 last week. None of the current cases are in hospital.

To date, 18,627 people have recovered from the virus.

With the majority of testing now taking place at home and going unreported, the Ministry of Health has acknowledged that a true picture of Covid-19 cases could not be known.

However, the number of hospital cases can act as a barometer for the extent of the virus’s spread and its severity.

In December, health officials confirmed that a highly contagious variant of the virus had been detected on the island.

Last month Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, said that the Government was prepared for any fresh surge threatened by new variants of the virus, but added that she was confident the island was already well protected because of high vaccination rates.

According to the World Health Organisation, deaths from the disease globally have risen sharply in the past two months.