COVID19: 2 deaths, 383 new cases, patient numbers up

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Two people died and 383 new coronavirus cases were reported on Friday, slightly less than the infections on previous days, but the number of patients admitted for COVID-19 continues to rise, testing the bed capacity of the Cyprus health system.

The health ministry said in its daily bulletin that two men, aged 69 and 70, died of COVID-19, raising the death toll for the month to 238 to date.

December and January were the worst months on record, with 76 deaths each, while 30 people died in February.

Although the number of new SARS-CoV-2 cases dropped from 431 on Thursday to 383, the same level as the 384 eight days ago, the week-long rally of 400-plus cases also resulted in more patients being admitted to the four state hospitals on a daily basis.

The health ministry said that 195 patients have been admitted for treatment, ten more from the day before, and the critical cases remained unchanged at 36.

The worrying data follows the government’s decision earlier on Friday to allow the hospitality sector to reopen from Tuesday and 3extend the night curfew from 9pm to 11pm, while keeping lower high school gymnasiums shut until the end of the month.

Officials are also concerned by the growing number of infections being diagnosed in elementary schools, while the epicentre of the current virus seems to be Limassol.

 

243 cases in elementary schools, 57,000 tests

“From the first of March up until Thursday, 243 new infections were recorded among teachers and pupils of elementary schools, of which 145 were from schools in Limassol District,” said health ministry spokesperson Margarita Kyriakou.

“As regards deaths, five people died in the first ten days of March, four of whom in Limassol District,” she said.

“One of the deaths resulted from a serial infection in the workplace, while the other three were close contacts of known cases and were infected by first degree relatives or friends after a number of house visits.”

As with the same day last week, a near record 57,337 tests were conducted on Friday, using the PCR molecular method, as well as the less accurate antigen rapid tests.

Of these, 11,077 were the free state-sponsored rapid tests at schools, compared to 10,147 last Friday with a total of 57,926 tests on the day.

Total infections to date reached 38,879.

Some 111 of the new SARS-CoV-2 cases diagnosed on Friday were through contact tracing, one was a passenger who tested positive among 510 samples from arrivals at Larnaca and Paphos airports, and 69 were from other tests.

A further 202 new cases were diagnosed from rapid tests, of which 129 were in Limassol, 30 in Nicosia, 11 in Larnaca, 2 in Paphos and 2 in Famagusta district.

Friday’s tests also included seven positive results from 5,325 taken on site at business throughout the week and conducted by in-house health and safety officers.