Coronavirus: Health ministry announces 827 new cases (updated)

The health ministry announced 827 new coronavirus infections after 41,606 on Tuesday, a positivity rate of 1.99 per cent, but no deaths from the virus.

The ministry said 89 people were being treated in hospital, 26 in serious or critical condition.

The number of deaths since the pandemic started in March last year is 380 while total recorded cases rose to 79,636.

So far, 245 men and 126 women have died from Covid-19, the average age being 77.3 years.

Of those in serious or critical condition, 10 are intubated, two were being treated in the ICU without intubation, and 14 in high dependency units.

The ministry said 41,606 tests were carried out in the past 24 hours, 6,131 PCR and 35,475 rapid antigen.

The majority of infections, 592 were detected in 34,655 samples tested by units that are part of the state’s mass screening programme.

Sixty-two of the cases were among 399 samples collected from close contacts while six were detected in 2,141 samples taken from arriving passengers at the two airports.

A further 116 infections were reported after 3,013 tests done privately. State hospital labs reported five infections in 175 samples.

Private labs and pharmacies reported 46 cases in 820 samples tested by rapid antigen tests.

Limassol recorded the highest positivity rate, 2.5 per cent, after detecting 216 infections in 8,654 tests. Famagusta reported 57 cases in 3,186 tests, a rate of 1,79 per cent while Larnaca had 66 cases in 3,936 tests, a positivity rate of 1,68 per cent.

Paphos had 65 cases in 4,331 tests, 1.5 per cent. The lowest positivity rate was recorded in Nicosia, 1.35 per cent, after 178 infections were reported from 13,187 tests.

Turkish Cypriots reported 88 cases after 11,786 tests.