Coronavirus: Two deaths, 415 new cases (updated)

Two people died from Covid and 414 new infections were detected from 34,079 tests, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

At the same time there has been an increase in hospitalisations with 165 people admitted, 30 in serious or critical condition.

The deaths concern a 58-year-old woman and a 76-year-old man, both with underlying health problems.

The number of deaths from Covid since the start of the pandemic has reached 235, with 156 being men. The average age is 79.

Of the 30 patients in serious or critical condition, 15 were intubated, three were in ICU without intubation, and 12 in high dependency units.

The ministry said 415 new infections were detected, a positivity rate of 1.2 per cent. The total number of recorded cases since March 2020 has reached 38,065.

Crews carried out 34,079 on Wednesday, including 2,683 with the PCR method.

Ninety-six cases concerned 639 samples collected from close contacts of previously confirmed cases.

An additional 41 infections were reported by private laboratories after testing 1,420 samples while hospital labs reported 13 cases from 341 tests.

Most infections, 265, were detected by antigen rapid screenings across the Republic.

Limassol continued to record the highest number of infections, 169 from 9,499 tests, a positivity rate of 1.78 per cent; Nicosia saw 39 cases in 9,240 samples, or 0.42 per cent; Larnaca had 29 cases in 4,101 tests, 0.71 per cent; Paphos had a positivity rate of 0.37 after 10 cases were detected in 272 samples; and Famagusta recorded seven cases in 1,170 tests, or 0.60 per cent.

One case was also reported among 341 tests carried out at care homes in Limassol, as well as three three cases in 563 people tested at the Ypsonas industrial estate.

Two cases were reported among soldiers after 372 tests and five from 2,525 carried out in schools.