Six more deaths from COVID-19, 690 new cases on Thursday

Authorities in Cyprus reported on Thursday six more deaths from COVID-19 and 690 new cases out of 50,902 tests with the positivity rate reaching 1.36%. At the same time 251 people with the disease are in hospital, 64 of whom in a serious condition.

The number of deaths has now reached 283, 186 (66%) men and 97 (34%) women with a median age of 78. The number of cases 53,944.

In a press release the Ministry of Health said that the deceased where three men aged 67, 68 and 82 and three women aged 85, 97 and 71 all with underlying health conditions. Two of them had received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

In total 251 people with COVID-19 are in hospital, 64 of whom in a serious condition. Thirty four are intubated, another five are treated in an ICU but are not breathing with the help of a ventilator while 25 are in an increased care unit.

Out of 50,902 tests carried out today, 4,700 by PCR method and 46,202 by antigen rapid test method, 690 new cases were detected as follows: 136 people tested positive out of 1,077 samples taken through contact tracing; 3 people tested positive out of 1,026 samples from passengers at the Larnaca and Pafos airports; 129 people tested positive out of 1,954 samples tested privately; 34 people tested positive out of 509 samples from the General Hospitals Microbiology Labs; 34 people tested positive out of 649 samples tested privately by antigen rapid test and 353 people tested positive out of 45,553 samples tested by antigen rapid test in the context of a government screening programme.