COVID19: Cases exceed 500, one death

Cyprus reported one more coronavirus death on Saturday, the seventh this month, as new daily cases spiked to 535, while patient hospitalisations increased to 118.

Saturday’s cases were the highest daily tally since 10 August, suggesting Cyprus is experiencing a new coronavirus wave.

The Health Ministry said in its daily Covid bulletin that a 76-year-old-man was the latest victim of the virus, raising the death toll since the pandemic started to 592.

The average age of those who died is also 76.

Hospitalisations were up by two, of whom 45 are serious, five more than Friday.

The number of intubated patients stayed at 16, as 66.11% of all hospital patients were reported as unvaccinated.

Three patients are still considered post-Covid, having recovered from the virus, but remain intubated and in a serious state.

The total number of SARS-CoV-2 infections since March 2020 rose to 132,937.

The number of PCR and antigen rapid tests conducted during the past 24 hours fell to 65,358, about 10,000 fewer than the day before.

With a decrease in tests and a rise in daily infections, 84 more than the previous day, the benchmark ‘test positivity’ rate jumped to 0.82% from 0.60%, below the high-risk threshold of 1%.

Of the new cases, 142 were traced from previous cases, and 82 were diagnosed from private initiative, hospital, and GP tests.

A further 177 cases were identified from private rapid tests at labs and pharmacies, and 134 were positive from the free national testing programme, available only to those vaccinated or recovered from earlier infections.

All of the 167 samples from retirement homes were negative, 127 in restricted institutions and 178 random rapid tests at both airports.