COVID19: Three deaths, cases falling

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Cyprus reported three coronavirus deaths on Saturday, taking the 16-month toll past 400, but daily cases dropped to a week-low of 789, as hospitalisations rise slightly to 259.

The death toll for July increased to 23 and 401 since the pandemic started in March 2020.

Most of the deaths were reported this week, with the average age standing at 77.3.

On Saturday, those confirmed dead from COVID-19 were two women aged 84 (Limassol General Hospital) and 94 (Nicosia) and a 67-year-old man (Famagusta).

The Health Ministry said in its COVID bulletin that 259 people are currently admitted in five hospitals, of whom 69 are critical, up from Friday’s 254 and 63, respectively.

It said 88% of hospitalisations are people who have not been vaccinated, down from 88.2% the previous day.

There were 106 fewer infections recorded Saturday, a drop of 11.4% from Friday with around the same level of tests.

Some 74,198 PCR and antigen rapid tests were conducted on Saturday, 2,075 less than the previous day, which, based on the 789 new infections, reduced the test positivity rate to 1.06%, closer to the benchmark high-risk level of 1.00%, which had peaked at above 2% last week.

Saturday’s new SARS-CoV-2 cases pushed the total infections for the past 16 months to 96,991.

Of the new cases, eight were passengers arriving at Larnaca and Paphos airports positive in PCR tests, and 205 were diagnosed through private lab and hospital tests.

A further 576 were diagnosed through the national free rapid test programme, down from the 638 the day before, with Nicosia taking the lead with most cases, at 194, and a test positivity rate of 0.81%, within the 1% safety level.

Limassol was next with 155 new infections (1.02%), followed by 109 in Larnaca (0.95%), 68 in Paphos (0.77%) and 49 in Famagusta district with 0.63%.

Of the 337 tests on staff and residents at retirement homes and airports employees, there were no positive cases.