COVID19: Cyprus cases drop as death count rises

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Cyprus reported one death and a lower count of 187 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 on Sunday, as the death toll rose to 44 and the number of infections since the pandemic started in March to 8,685.

The health ministry said that an 87 year old man, with no underlying issues, died at the intensive care unit at Nicosia General hospital, with the death count for men rising to 28 and 16 women, with the average age remaining steady at 75 years.

Some 9,527 tests were carried out, of which a third or 3,223 were the more accurate PCR method and two thirds were the antigen rapid tests, producing results within 30 minutes but will need to be confirmed by PCR.

On Saturday, the health ministry said that a record 13,443 tests were conducted producing 274 positive cases.

Sunday’s tests results included 121 positive cases identified through the antigen rapid tests, while 84 positive rapid tests results from earlier days produced 56 confirmed COVID-19 cases through the PCR method.

The rapid tests identified 5 positive case in Paphos, 34 in Limassol, 9 in Larnaca, 3 in Famagusta district and 70 in Nicosia.

In all, 88 patients are being treated at the Covid-referral clinic at Famagusta General and other state hospitals, three less than the day before.

Meanwhile, two infants aged two and ten months, the youngest cases of COVID-19, are being treated at the Makarios hospital in Nicosia and considered to be in good condition, without fever.

News reports suggest they will be released within the next few days.

Avraam Elia, Director of Paediatrics at the hospital said both were kept at negative pressure isolation rooms for reasons of safety, reassuring parents that children and in particular infants do not seem to be particularly affected by COVID-19.

He added that the coronavirus infects no more than 6% of all children and rarely produces serious clinical cases that lead to complications or even death.

He said that to date, the Makarios hospital has admitted 12 children, the youngest being of 17 days and all recovered very well.

Meanwhile, as the coronavirus affects organised groups, such as old people’s homes, the latest victim has been the municipality of Ayia Napa that had a positive coronavirus infection among its staff members. As a result, the town hall will remain closed, together with the Ayia Napa Sewerage Board, until further notice.