COVID19: Three deaths as infection rate leaps to 7%

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Cyprus reported three coronavirus deaths on Friday, fewer daily cases at 3,329, a steady number of hospitalisations and a significant drop in the testing programme, propelling the infection rate to an unprecedented 7.27%.

The total number of all infections, including re-infections since the pandemic started, broke past the 400,000 barrier and reached 400,534.

The health ministry said in its Covid bulletin that three people died, all men aged 69 to 80, raising the March death toll to 55, with the total number of Covid-19 victims at 925.

January was the deadliest month on record with 101, followed by 91 in February, overtaking the previous record of 81 last August.

The number of patients being treated in state hospitals remained unchanged at 151, with four fewer critical cased, down to 20.

Intubated patients dropped to six, while 52% of hospitalised COVID-19 patients were unvaccinated.

Some 19 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 400,534.

A total of 45,788 PCR and antigen rapid tests were conducted during the past 24 hours, a whopping 58,000 less than the previous day, with no tests in schools due to the March 25 national holiday.

With drastic fall in the number of tests, as well as in cases from 3,329, the benchmark ‘positivity rate’ shot up to 7.27% from Thursday’s 5.02% and Wednesday’s record 5.64%, seven times above the safe marker of 1%.

Of the new infections, 142 were identified through contact tracing linked to earlier infections.

There were 29 new infections in care homes from 604 tests, while all of 258 tests in restricted institutions were negative.