Coronavirus: Three deaths, 822 new cases (Updated)

Three deaths from Covid-19 and 822 new cases were reported on Monday with a positivity rate of 1.38.

The three deaths were two men, aged 58 and 82, and a woman, aged 64. For the second day running the health ministry did not say whether those who died had underlying health conditions. None of the three had been vaccinated.

Hospitalisations rose to 284 of whom 68 are in serious condition. Of the 68, 30 are intubated.

The cases were identified out of a total of 59,766 tests of which 5,125 were PCR tests and the remaining 54,641 were rapid tests.

The government’s rapid test programme identified the bulk of Monday’s positives, with 563 of the 822, while 36 rapid tests taken privately also returned positive.

The PCR tests identified 123 positives via contact tracing, ten at the airports, 71 taken privately and 19 taken at the hospitals.

Limassol shot back up to first place as regards the positivity rate, with 1.77 per cent (181 positives from 10,243 rapid tests).

Next is Larnaca with a rate of 1.36 per cent from 90 positives (6,622 tests), Nicosia’s 1.09 per cent with 169 positives (15,452 tests), Famagusta’s 0.96 per cent with 23 positives (2,399 tests) and Paphos’ 0.81 per cent with 29 positives (3,601 tests).

There were three positives from the 1,102 tests taken at primary schools and 31 positives from the 10,003 tests taken at secondary schools.

Notably, 14 positives were detected from 376 tests taken at care homes in Nicosia and five in Paphos with 344 tests.