Coronavirus: Two deaths, 439 new cases (updated)

The health ministry announced two deaths and 439 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday.

The deaths concerned a 67-year-old woman with underlying conditions who was being treated in the ICU and a 66-year-old man with no underlying conditions.

Neither had been vaccinated and both died in Nicosia hospital.

This brings the total deaths to 256, of whom 169 were men and 87 women with an average age of 79.

A total of 42,257 tests were carried out by PCR and rapid tests on Tuesday with the 439 new cases representing a positivity rate of 1.04 per cent.

The total number of positives to date is 45,430.

Of the 42,257 tests 3,666 were PCR and 38,591 rapid tests.

The majority of new cases, 229 of the 439, came from rapid testing, 135 from 740 samples taken through contact tracing, and 60 cases from 1,718 samples taken through private initiative.

Out of 432 samples processed by hospital labs and taken through GP referrals, 14 were positives.

In addition, 775 samples were taken at airports with one positive.

Sixty-nine cases were detected in Nicosia, 70 in Limassol, 42 in Larnaca, four in Paphos and seven in Famagusta.

There are 177 people in hospitals, 46 of whom are in serious condition. Of the 46 patients who are critical, 21 are intubated, four are in ICU and 21 in the High Dependency Unit.

In the north, 57 new cases and one death were announced on Tuesday through 7,850 PCR tests.

‘Health minister’ Unal Ustel said that one case was detected at the airport, 23 from contact tracing and 33 local infections.

Thirteen cases were detected in Nicosia, three in Kyrenia, and 17 in Famagusta.