Coronavirus: 434 new cases, no deaths (updated)

No deaths from Covid-19 were reported on Wednesday, as 434 new infections were detected from 51,301 tests, a positivity rate of 0.85 per cent.

According to the health ministry, the number of patients being treated in hospital was 176, with 43 in serious or critical condition.

Covid has claimed the lives of 256 people since March last year with the number of infections reaching 45,864.

Most of the fatalities concern men, 169, or 66 per cent. The average age of the deceased is 79.

Of the hospitalised patients, 22 were intubated, four were in ICU without intubation, and 17 in high dependency units.

The ministry said 51,301 tests were carried out in the past 24 hours, 3,235 with PCR.

Of the 434 new cases, 99 from 609 tests concerned close contacts of previously confirmed cases. Two infected passengers were found among 231 tested at the two airports while private laboratories reported 84 infections detected in 1,836 samples.

Fourteen cases were reported by state hospital labs in 378 samples, and one was among 181 GP referrals.

An additional five infections were reported in 653 samples tested privately using antigen tests.

Most of the new infections, 229, were reported by mobile units across the island, which carried out 47,413 tests.

Limassol continued to rank top in daily infections with 86 in 10,157 tests, or a positivity rate of 0.85 per cent. Nicosia came second with 65 cases in 12,536 tests, or 0.52 per cent; Larnaca 32 in 5,267, or 0.61 per cent; Paphos 13 in 3,580, or 0.36 per cent, and Famagusta with four cases from 2,041 tests, or 0.20 per cent.

An additional three cases were reported at the industrial estates of Ypsonas and Ayios Athanasios, both in Limassol. Those were detected among 1,173 tests.

One case was reported at Mesoyi industrial estate in Paphos, detected after 302 tests. Twenty-four cases were detected in 10,779 tests conducted in schools, and one in the army among 586 samples.

Turkish Cypriot reported 35 new cases on Wednesday, with the total since March last year reaching 4,404. Twenty-six people have died in the north from Covid-19.