Coronavirus: Two deaths, 77 new cases (updated)

The health ministry announced the deaths of two people from Covid-19 on Wednesday and 77 new infections after 39,124 tests, a positivity rate of 0.20 per cent.

Forty-three people were being treated in hospital with 16 in serious or critical condition.

The deaths concern a 78-year-old man, and a woman 69. The number of people claimed by the virus since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 has reached 367. The average age of the deceased is 77.4.

Health authorities have so far recorded 72,996 cases of the virus.

Of the 16 patients in serious or critical condition, eight were intubated, two were being treated in the ICU without intubation, and six were in high dependency units.

The ministry said 39,124 tests were carried out, 4,956 PCR and 34,168 rapid antigen.

Of the 77 cases detected, 29 concerned close contacts of already confirmed cases. They were detected among 285 samples.

Six infections were found among 2,409 samples taken from arriving passengers at the Republic’s two airports.

Ten cases were among 1,951 samples tested privately and one case was reported by state hospital labs after 136 tests.

One case was among 175 samples collected from GP referrals and one more was recorded by private labs and pharmacies in 424 antigen tests.

As part of the government’s mass screening programme, 33,744 tests were carried out on Wednesday, detecting 29 infections.

There were no cases among them in Paphos and Larnaca