Coronavirus: Three deaths, 113 new cases (updated)

Three people have died from Covid-19 and 113 new cases have been detected from 24,780 tests, a positivity rate of 0.46 per cent, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

The number of people claimed by the virus since last March has now risen to 217. As of Wednesday, the number of infections on the island was 32,072.

Ninety-five people were being treated in hospital, 36 in serious or critical decision.

The fatalities concern three men, aged 77, 61, and 86, all with underlying health problems.

Of the 217 deaths, 148 were men. The average age of the deceased was 79.

Of the 95 people treated in state hospitals, 17 were intubated, four were in ICU without intubation, and 15 in high dependency units.

The health ministry said 27 new infections concerned contacts of previously confirmed cases detected in 166 samples. One new case was a traveller who was among 95 tested at the Republic’s two airports.

Private laboratories reported an additional eight cases from 329 samples while 12 more were detected by state hospitals among 329 samples.

Three infections were found among 109 samples collected from migrants in reception centres and 62 from 22,915 antigen rapid tests.

Six of those were detected in 378 samples tested by private labs while the rest where part of the health ministry’s screening programme.

Turkish Cypriots reported 45 new cases after 4,880 tests. The north has reported 2,919 cases since March. Health authorities said 178 people were being treated in hospital, 12 in the ICU.