Two deaths from COVID-19, 2,046 new cases on Thursday

Authorities in Cyprus reported two more deaths from COVID-19 and 2,046 new cases on Thursday. At the same time 144 people are being treated in hospital, 33 of whom in a serious condition.

The deceased were a 72 year-old woman who passed away on Wednesday and a 55 year-old man who passed away on Thursday, the Ministry of Health said in a press release.

The number deaths is now 861 and of cases 328,657.

In total 144 patients with COVID-19 are being treated in state hospitals, 33 of whom in a serious condition; 14 are intubated one more is being treated in an ICU but is breathing without the help of a ventilator while another 18 are in an ACU. A percentage of 58.34% of COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated.

At the same time 17 patients who are no longer infectious continue to be treated in an ICU intubated.

On Thursday, 98,468 tests were carried out diagnosing 2,046 new cases. The positivity rate (PR) is 2.08%.

PCR tests were 3,352 with 258 positive cases (PR 7.7%), rapid tests were 95,116 with 1,788 positive cases (PR 1.88%).

In the context of contact tracing, 197 PCR tests were carried out with 25 positive cases (PR 12.69%), 616 rapid tests were carried out with 57 new cases (PR 9.25%).

Tests carried out on a private initiative were as follows: 1,719 PCR with 193 positive cases (PR 11.23%) and 41,322 rapid tests with 1,155 positive cases (PR 2.8%).

In the context of the Ministry`s screening programmes, 53,794 rapid tests were carried out with 633 positive cases. In particular 13,809 rapid tests were carried out in testing spots tracing 402 positive cases (PR 2.91%), 19,850 rapid tests were carried out in elementary schools with 60 positive cases (PR 0.30%), in secondary education 12,135 rapid tests resulted in 77 positive cases (PR 0.63%). A total of 3,809 rapid tests were carried out in the contest of the "test to stay" measure tracing 33 positive cases (PR 0.87%), in special schools no cases were traced out of 627 rapid tests carried out.

One person tested positive out of 1,672 samples tested in homes for the elderly, one person was found to be positive out of 203 tests in closed structures, while two people tested positive from 1,073 rapid tests in government services.

The Ministry notes that the figures announced are indicative and may be different on the basis of final and updated data in the context of the National Report of Epidemiological Risk published every other Friday.