COVID19: Cases fall, positivity rate down as Cyprus unlocks

Cyprus reported no deaths, fewer COVID-19 cases, and hospitalisations on Saturday, as the island’s epidemiological situation improves before more lockdown relaxations next week.

The Health Ministry said the death toll since the pandemic remained at 346, with the average age at 77.5 years.

The daily Covid-report said that 156 patients are currently admitted in state hospitals for coronavirus treatment, one more than the 155 the day before, while the number of critical patients stayed at 51.

Some 83,338 PCR and antigen rapid tests were conducted on Saturday, compared to the record 109,846 last week, before lifting Lockdown III restrictions and schools and businesses reopening.

And there were 157 SARS-CoV-2 infections diagnosed, slightly lower than Friday’s 171 infections.

Based on the number of tests, the test positivity rate was 0.19%, a figure dropping steadily throughout the week and similar to Friday’s 0.18%.

This raised the total for infections during the past 15 months to 70,899.

Of the total, 58 were diagnosed from private labs and hospital tests, three were airport arrivals, and 95 positive cases resulted from the national rapid testing programme.

Of these, 30 were in Limassol (0.16% test positivity rate), 28 in Nicosia (0.10%), 14 in Larnaca (0.11%), 8 in Paphos (0.10%) and 8 in the Famagusta district (0.12%).

A daily curfew will be pushed back to midnight from Monday, while the safe pass will no longer be required for any outdoor activities as the COVID landscape improve and vaccinations accelerate.