Coronavirus: two deaths, 293 new cases announced on Wednesday (Updated)

The health ministry announced two deaths and 293 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday from 37,486  PCR and rapid tests, yielding a positivity rate of 0.78 per cent.

The deaths concerned two men, one aged 70 and one aged 75, both with underlying conditions and both unvaccinated, according to the ministry. One died at Nicosia hospital and the other at Famagusta hospital. This brings total deaths to 248.

There are 211 people in hospitals of whom 47 are in serious condition. Of these, 21 are intubated.

Of the 37,486 tests done on Wednesday,  2,644 were PCR and 34,842 rapid tests with a total of 293 positives detected as follows:

• 96 from 737 samples taken through contract tracing 
• 37 from 1,040 samples taken through private initiative.
• 13 from 336 samples processed at hospital labs 
• 14 from 540 samples tested at private labs 
• 133 from 34,302 samples taken under the health ministry’s free programme 

Of the 133 positives from the free testing, 58 were in Limassol and 31 in Nicosia and 13 in Larnaca. Two were found at Nicosia care homes and 12 in schools.

The following testing was done without detecting a case:

• 292 samples taken from passengers at Larnaca and Paphos airports.
• 165 samples taken under GP referrals