Coronavirus: No deaths, 167 new cases (updated)

There were no deaths from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, but infections continued to climb on Wednesday with the health ministry announcing 167 new cases after 33,413 tests, a positivity rate of 0.50 per cent.

At the same time, 43 people were being treated in hospital with 19 in serious or critical condition.

The number of infections since the pandemic started in March last year has reached 79,999, while 378 people have lost their lives, 254 men and 124 women. The average age is 77.

Of the 19 patients in serious or critical condition, 10 were intubated, one was in the ICU without intubation, and eight in a high dependency unit.

According to the health ministry, 106 cases were detected among 28,090 samples tested as part of the government’s mass screening programme.

Thirty-five infections concerned close contacts of already confirmed cases, detected in 317 samples.

Three more cases were reported among 2,389 travellers tested at the Republic’s two airports.

Seventeen cases were detected in 1,749 samples tested privately, and two were among 273 tested at state hospital labs.

Another two were found among 148 people referred by GPs. Private labs and pharmacies reported a further two cases after testing 447 samples.

Of the 106 cases detected using rapid antigen tests, most were found in Nicosia though it had the most tests – 33 in 9,477, a positivity rate of 0.35 per cent. Limassol reported 28 cases in 6,538 tests, a rate of 0.43 per cent; Larnaca had 17 cases in 4,056 tests, 0.42 per cent and Paphos two after 3,036 tests, 0.07 per cent. Famagusta had the highest positivity rate, 0.87 per cent, after reporting 25 cases in 2,865 tests.