Cyprus’ COVID infections are on the rise as the two-week cumulative case rate increased by 66.6%, with over 4,000 incidents recorded, according to Friday’s Health Ministry epidemiological report.
The island’s 14-day cumulative diagnosis rate climbed to 473.4 per 100,000 residents during the fortnight between November 9-22, compared to 284.7per 100,000 in the previous report (26 October and 8 November), and 204.4 for 10-23 October.
A total of 4,204 coronavirus cases were recorded in the two weeks covered by the report, pushing Cyprus toward the highest-risk dark red zone on the epidemiological map issued by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Cyprus’ worsening coronavirus landscape has kept it in the ECDC red category.
Red zone areas are where the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 case notification rate ranges from 75 to 200, and the test positivity rate is 4% or more, or the 14-day cumulative case rate is over 200 but less than 500. Anything above 500 is “dark red”.
One-third of cases detected involved children and teenagers under 19.
By age group, cases included 1,266 aged 0-19 (30.1%), 2,424 individuals aged 20-59 (57.7%), and 514 individuals aged 60 and older (12.2%).
The median age of all cases diagnosed in the last 14 days is 34 (IQR: 15-48 years).
The median age of adult cases (≥ 18 years) is 41 (IQR: 32-54 years).
Most cases recorded, 96.3%, were locally acquired while just 3.7% concerned people who recently travelled abroad.
Nicosia recorded the highest number of cases, with 1,678 people testing positive in the district, while 930 cases came from Limassol, 676 from Paphos, 646 in Larnaca and 165 from Famagusta.
Paphos leads for the cumulative diagnosis rate with 708.6 cases per 100,000, jumping from 422.4 in the previous report.
Nicosia follows with 484.4 per 100,000, Larnaca with 433.6. Limassol 374.5 cases per 100,000, and Famagusta 337.4.
On 24 November, 117 people were still hospitalized.
The median age of patients still hospitalized due to COVID-19 (n = 117) is 61 (IQR: 52-71 years), 64.1% (n = 75) are males, and 29.5% (n = 33) are from Nicosia.
According to the Health Ministry, Cyprus’ mortality rate remains low at 0.5%, with 590 deaths since the pandemic.
Half of the people who died were aged 69 to 85 years old.
