Cyprus epidemiological data worsened this week, as its Covid–19 cumulative notification rate increased by over 50% as Limassol spiked to 923.1 high from 641.2 per 100,000 inhabitants.
According to the Health Ministry’s latest weekly epidemiological report, the country’s overall 14-day cumulative diagnosis rate rose to 397.3 per 100,000 population from 263.5 in the previous report and 168.7 as of 26 February. The safety limit set by the EU is 150 per 100,000.
Cyprus has seen cases surge since relaxing a second national lockdown on 1 February, with cases going from under a hundred to 420 this week.
Hospital admissions also increased, according to the Health Ministry, due to the outbreak in Limassol.
Limassol is ranked in the danger zone with a 14-day cumulative COVID-19 case notification rate of more than 500 or more for every 100,000 inhabitants.
According to the report, between 24 February to 9 March, some 3,528 coronavirus cases were diagnosed from 39,725 PCR and 522,215 rapid antigen tests.
Limassol accounted for 2,292 of those cases, corresponding to 65% of all cases.
“There is a clear upward trend in all indicators,” the Health Ministry said.
The weekly test positivity rate shows an increasing trend, with Limassol’s at over 1%.
In February, Cyprus’ positivity rate from rapid tests increased to 0.4% from 0.2%, and to 0.8 from 0.5% in Limassol.
By age group, cases included 717 infants, children and adolescents aged 0-19 (20.3%), 2,250 adults aged 20-59 (63.8%), 557 aged 60 years and older (15.8%).
The median age of all cases diagnosed in the last 14 days is 37 (IQR: 23-52years).
The majority of people who tested positive in the last 14 days (70.4%) reported at least one symptom, while the rest 1,044 people reported no symptoms at diagnosis.
Hospitalisations doubled in the last 10 days, with most patients coming from Limassol, said the Health Ministry.
“It is clear that hospitals are under strain, with a significant increase in the average of admissions and patients, while an increase in ICU admissions has started to show,” the ministry added.
Hospitalisation and intensive care unit admissions
In total, 5.3% (n = 1,933) of people with COVID-19 received hospital care, as of March 11.
The median age of patients still hospitalized on March 11t (n = 171, including those discharged on that day) is 65years (IQR: 54-73years), 59.1% (n = 101) are males, and 70.8% (n = 121) are from Limassol district.
The median age of ICU patients is 68, and 18 of them are men.
More than 70%, or 121 people currently hospitalised, are from Limassol.
On Friday, Andreas Kostis, head of Limassol General’s COVID ward, told the Cyprus News Agency that it had reached capacity, currently treating 190 patients with more admissions expected.
The number of elderly patients has decreased while more admissions of younger people are recorded “who are now seriously ill”, including a 23-year-old man, Kostis added.
Limassol district also amounted to the most deaths recorded in the last 14 days, as 83% of patients who died were from the district.
