COVID19: New cases continue to gallop, week-high of 529

Cyprus reported a new week-high of 529 new coronavirus cases on Friday, as the Cabinet met to agree on new measures amid failing efforts to control the spread of the virus.

The health ministry said in its daily Covid-report that 45,212 PCR and antigen rapid tests were conducted, diagnosing an increase of 55 cases from Thursday. The new figure generated a benchmark test positivity rate of 1.17%, slightly down from 1.26% the previous day and 1.18% on Wednesday.

The Health Ministry said that there were no deaths attributed to Covid-19, making it the eighteenth day in a row. The death toll since the pandemic started remained unchanged at 378 with an average age of 77.

In its daily Covid bulletin, the ministry said the hospitalisation rate dropped again from 59 to 54, the same as on Wednesday, with the number of critical cases up by two to 20.

The total number of infections during the past 16 months is now at 76,862.

Of the new cases, 9 passengers arriving at Larnaca and Paphos airports tested positive, 79 new cases were diagnosed from private labs and hospital tests, while no infections were discovered through contact tracing.

A further 441 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 were diagnosed through the national rapid testing programme, up from 340 the day before.

Nicosia remained in the lead with 171 new cases and a ‘high risk’ test positivity rate rising above the risk benchmark to 1.11%. Next was Limassol with 84 new cases and a test positivity rate of 0.89%, down from 1.59% the day before.

However, the highest rate of 2.66% was once again recorded in Famagusta district with 76 cases, Larnaca had 75 (1.26%) and Paphos with 14 and the lowest rate of 0.46%.

All 583 tests of staff and residents at retirement homes were negative, as were 363 tests at industrial zones, and only two soldiers serving in the National Guard were diagnosed with Covid-19.