COVID19: Drop in cases, no deaths

Cyprus reported a general improvement with a significant drop in daily coronavirus cases to 165, as well as fewer hospitalisations at 240 and critical cases at 84.

Sunday was also the first day in 22 days with no deaths attributed to Covid-19. This kept the August death toll unchanged at 32 and at 456 since the pandemic started.

The health ministry said in its Covid bulletin that a monthly low of 14,008 PCR and antigen rapid tests were conducted during the past 24 hours, which based on the 165 new infections generated a benchmark ‘test positivity’ rate of 1.18%, higher Saturday’s 0.74% and above the high-risk threshold of 1.00%.

New cases were also lower from Saturday’s 401.

The test rate was lower than the average daily rate in August due to the holiday marking the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, with few requiring tests, due to work obligations or if they are unvaccinated and need a fresh result every 72 hours to be allowed a SafePass for access to restaurants, supermarkets and all public services.

Hospitalisations were down four from Saturday’s 244 of whom 84 are critical, three less than the day before.

Of these, 46 remain intubated, one less from the previous day, and 82% of patients are unvaccinated.

The total number of all SARS-CoV-2 infections during the past 17 months to 108,872.

Of the new cases, 14 were discovered through contact tracing, 4 passengers tested positive in PCR tests at Larnaca and Paphos airports, and 51 were diagnosed from private initiative and hospital tests.

A further 96 new cases were identified from private rapid tests at labs and pharmacies, while none were positive from a minimal 174 tests as part of the free national testing programme, available only to those vaccinated or recovered from earlier infection.