Cyprus reported one coronavirus death on Wednesday, as the number of new daily cases rose again to 275 and hospitalisations were marginally up at 72, with hospitals creaking at full capacity.
State hospitals are under increased pressure as COVID-19, seasonal infections and other medical cases push their capacity to the limit.
On Wednesday, the State Health Services Organisation (OKYPY) said the influx of patients has led to a 100% occupancy rate in state hospitals.
The health ministry said in its Covid bulletin that the death toll since the pandemic started increased to 577.
The latest victim was an 85 year old man, the second death this month.
New daily infections increased once again, rising to 275, up from Tuesday’s 266 and 284 the day before.
Hospitalisations increased again to 72 from 71, while 24 remain serious, two more from the previous day.
Meanwhile, intubated patients increased to seven, and 65% 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 126,772.
The number of PCR and antigen rapid tests conducted during the past 24 hours dropped to 51,166, about 6,000 less than the previous day.
12,900 tests in schools
This included 12,894 tests in high schools, of whom 11 were positive for coronavirus, six of whom from Paphos, and 3,646 tests in primary schools of whom four were diagnosed with the virus.
With a decrease in tests and 275 new infections, nine more than the previous day, the benchmark ‘test positivity’ rate rose to 0.54% from 0.47%, within the high-risk threshold of 1%.
Of the new cases, 43 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 103 cases were identified from private rapid tests at labs and pharmacies, and 78 were positive from the free national testing programme, available only to those vaccinated or recovered from earlier infections.
All 658 samples from retirement homes were negative for coronavirus, as well as 40 random rapid tests at both airports.
One tested positive from 2,193 tests at restricted institutions.
