COVID19: Seven deaths, drop in new cases, patients

Cyprus reported seven COVID-19 deaths during the past seven days, three fewer than last week, with a significant drop in new infections and hospitalisations.

The health ministry said in its bulletin on Friday that the latest victims were five men and two women, aged 63 to 95, raising the death toll since the pandemic started in March 2020 to 1,287.

New cases dropped for the third consecutive week to 1,934 from 2,667 last week. Of these, 66 were positive in targeted testing in care homes, 12 in closed institutions and only two elementary schools.

Some 69 COVID patients were in hospital, 21 less than last week, while 14 were in a critical state, down by four.

Eight patients remained intubated in an ICU, up by three, while six more were being treated in an Acute Care Unit from 13 the week before.

Daily average below 300

Coronavirus infections since the pandemic rose to 642,663.

The average daily rate of infections dropped significantly to 276, down from 381, and 479 the week before.

Testing was marginally lower than last week’s level, reaching 66,251 PCR and rapid antigen tests, about 1,800 less than before.

These two factors prompted the benchmark ‘positivity rate’ to continue to improve to 2.92%, down from last week’s 3.92% and 5.13% a fortnight ago, and about three times higher than the safe infection rate of 1%.

Masks remain mandatory in hospitals, testing labs and pharmacies.

Free government testing sites are only available at state hospitals for visitors.