Coronavirus: no deaths, 473 people test positive on Thursday (Updated)

Authorities on Thursday announced no new deaths and 473 new positives to the coronavirus, for a positivity rate of 1.26 per cent.

The number of deaths attributable to Covid-19 remains at 378.

On the hospital front, the health ministry said 59 patients were being treated for Covid-19, of whom 18 in a serious condition.

Of the 18 in a serious condition, six are intubated, three in ICU without intubation, and nine in a high-dependency unit.

The Famagusta referral hospital for Covid held 29 patients, Nicosia general hospital 14 patients, and Limassol general 16.

The latest 473 positives emerged from 37,450 tests (of which 6,812 done with PCR). They bring the total number of positives detected so far in Cyprus to 76,333.

To date, the number of tests carried out in the Republic of Cyprus far exceed the population figure.

A breakdown of the latest positives: 45 from 351 samples via contact tracing; five from 3,085 samples taken at the airports; 79 from 3,021 samples taken through private initiative; four from 235 samples processed by the microbiology laboratories of general hospitals; 12 from 522 samples (antigen rapid tests) processed at private clinical labs and pharmacies; and 328 from 30,116 samples (rapid tests) as part of the free government testing programme.

By district, and for rapid tests only, Famagusta had the highest positivity rate at 1.62 per cent; then Limassol at 1.59 per cent; Larnaca at 1.59 per cent; Nicosia at 0.94 per cent; and Paphos at 0.26 per cent.

No positives were detected from testing at nursing homes across the island.