COVID19: Cabinet to discuss record cases rise

A Cabinet meeting postponed until Friday will exchange views on possible measures to be introduced after a record wave of COVID-19 cases surged past 1000, said government spokesman Marios Pelekanos.

The meeting on Friday morning will discuss more effective management of the outbreak that has seen hospital admissions and the test positivity rate rise.

Cyprus on Tuesday reported a record-high 1,081 new COVID infections and 2 deaths.

The positivity rate stands at 1.72%, and 159 people are getting treatment in hospitals, of whom 41 are in serious condition.

Tuesday’s figure of 1,081 cases was the highest single-day count since the island recorded its first cases of coronavirus in early March 2020.

Two people died of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total number of deaths to 382, the Health Ministry said.

After a lull from May to mid-June, positive cases began to climb rapidly, attributed to the spread of the Delta variant of the virus.

Cyprus introduced widespread and free rapid testing in December, with daily tests frequently exceeding 60,000.

The government said it would stop free tests next month in a move to encourage vaccinations.