Coronavirus: four deaths and 676 new cases announced on Friday (Updated)

The health ministry announced four deaths and 676 new Covid-19 positives from 47,621 PCR and rapid tests. The positivity rate was 1.42 per cent.

The deaths concerned three men aged 37, 63 and 68 and one woman aged 75. All were unvaccinated except the 68-year-old. The death toll is  now 312.

Whether those who died had underlying conditions is withheld from the public.

There are 275 people in hospitals of whom 70 are in serious condition. Of these, 30 are intubated. The average age of Covid patients is 58.

Of the 47,621 tests detected on Friday, 6,976 were PCR and 40,645 rapid test method producing 676 people who tested positive  as follows:

· 56 from 1,183 samples taken through contact tracing

· 5 from 2,010 samples taken as part of passenger checks

· 231 from 3,706 samples taken through private initiative

· 5 from 65 samples tested at hospital labs

· 13 from 504 samples tested at private clinical laboratories and pharmacies

· 366 from 40,141 samples tested under the ministry’s free programme

Nicosia had the highest number of positives with 147 but also the highest number of tests with 13,349.

Limassol had 104 positives from 8,180 tests, Larnaca 66 from 4,798 tests, Paphos 24 positives from 2,512 tests and Famagusta 15 positives from 1,888 tests.

Two positives were found in a Nicosia care home and eight related to employee testing of 7,691 people.