COVID19: No deaths, patients and new cases rise again

Cyprus reported no deaths attributed to the coronavirus for a second day in a row on Wednesday, as hospitalisations and new daily infections increased mildly to 38 and 68, respectively.

The health ministry said in its daily Covid bulletin that the death toll since the pandemic started remained unchanged at 374, of which 14 were recorded in June.

It said that 38 patients are currently admitted in state hospitals for treatment, six more than Tuesday, of whom 12 are critical, up by three from the day before.

Some 31,124 PCR and antigen rapid tests were conducted on the day which, based on the 68 new daily infections generated a test positivity rate of 0.22%, up from 0.18% a day earlier.

The new cases of SARS-CoV-2 were up four from 64 on Tuesday. The total number of infections during the past 15 months is now 73,379.

Of the new cases, 17 were identified through contact tracing linked to earlier known infections, 19 were diagnosed from private lab and hospital tests, while 32 resulted from the national rapid testing programme.

Limassol was once again in the lead with most rapid test diagnosed infections, with 14 new cases and a test positivity rate of 0.23%.

Nicosia was next with 4 cases (0.04%), Paphos with 3 (0.10%), Famagusta district with 3 (0.12%) and one I Larnaca (0.03%).

All 598 tests of staff and residents at retirement homes were negative, as well as all 543 samples from industrial zones.

A lower sample of 859 tests were conducted in schools, as primaries are gradually closing for summer and high school students prepare sit for their final end year exams.