COVID19: Cyprus death toll rises to 18

Another COVID-19 patient died in Cyprus, health authorities announced on Saturday, taking the total number of deaths directly caused by coronavirus to 18 since the outbreak in March.

There were no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 from a total of 2,054 tests, so the number remains at 960.

The Health Ministry said the patient who died was treated at Nicosia General Hospital Intensive Care Unit and passed away on Friday night.

He was a 68-year-old man who had other health problems but the cause of death was COVID-19.

Those who have died after contracting COVID-19 is now 25 but only 18 was directly caused by the virus.

Of those 18, 12 were men and six women with an average age of 71.

From the 2,054 negative tests, 393 were carried out on staff at hair salons, barbershops, beauty parlours, tattoo studios and restaurants.

A total of 1,324 people tested negative in samples from the retail sector and at construction sites.

The same goes for 117 tests at hospital labs, 165 tests conducted on private initiative, 11 samples tested on referral from GPs and 43 as part of tracing contacts of already confirmed cases.

Four patients are still hospitalized at the reference hospital, Famagusta General and four patients were on ventilators at the Intensive Care Unit of Nicosia General Hospital.

According to data published by the Health Ministry, 808 patients (86.5%) recovered until June 4, while 32 (3.3%) have been treated at the Intensive Care Units.

A total of 14,296.4 tests have been carried out per 100,000 population.