COVID19: No deaths as new cases skyrocket

Cyprus reported no coronavirus-related deaths for the second day in a row on Monday, the sixth day this month with no Covid deaths, while the number of new daily cases more than doubled to 284, as hospitalisations dropped mildly to 67.

The health ministry said in its Covid bulletin that the death toll since the pandemic started remained unchanged at 576.

New daily infections skyrocketed to 284 from 133 the day before and above the high of 280 a week ago.

Hospitalisations continued to drop, receding to 67 from 69 and 74 the past two days, while 22 remain serious, one less from the previous day.

Meanwhile, intubated patients were up one at eight, and 66% of hospital patients were reported as unvaccinated.

Only one patient is still considered post-Covid, having recovered from the virus, but remains intubated and in a serious state.

The total number of all SARS-CoV-2 infections since March 2020 rose to 126,231.

The number of PCR and antigen rapid tests conducted during the past 24 hours almost doubled to 67,349.

 

More infections in schools

Of the 12,109 tests in high schools, 14 tested positive for coronavirus, while four were found to be positive among 3,128 tests in primary schools.

With an increase in tests and 284 new infections, 151 more than the previous day, the benchmark ‘test positivity’ rate rose to 0.42% from 0.34%, within the high-risk threshold of 1%.

Of the new cases, 30 were identified through contact tracing linked to earlier infections, four were passengers arriving at Larnaca and Paphos airports, and 47 were diagnosed from private initiative and hospital tests.

A further 149 cases were identified from private rapid tests at labs and pharmacies, and 54 were positive from the free national testing programme, available only to those vaccinated or recovered from earlier infections.

All 1,125 samples from retirement homes were negative for coronavirus, as well as 812 in special schools and 74 random rapid tests at both airports.

One tested positive from 173 tests at restricted institutions.