Coronavirus: New record of 993 new cases (updated)

No deaths from coronavirus occurred Thursday although a new record of 993 positives were recorded, the health ministry said.

The 993 latest positives came from 49,032 tests (of which 7,924 with PCR), for a positivity rate of 2.03 per cent.

This broke the previous record registered 24 hours earlier, when 952 positives were announced. However, Wednesday’s positivity rate was slightly higher, at 2.16 per cent.

A breakdown of Thursday’s positives: 739 from the government’s free testing (antigen rapid test) programme; 71 from 699 samples via contact tracing; seven from 3,305 samples taken at the airports; 128 from 3,457 samples taken through private initiative; 14 from 377 samples processed by the microbiology laboratories of the general hospitals; and 34 from 834 samples processed at private clinical labs and pharmacies.

By district, and for rapid tests only, the highest positivity rate was recorded in Limassol at 2.83 per cent; then Famagusta at 1.92 per cent; Larnaca 1.86 per cent; Paphos 1.71 per cent; and Nicosia 1.31 per cent.

The total number of positives since the coronavirus arrived in Cyprus in March 2020, stands at 81,581.

With the increase in cases, hospital admissions likewise went up – 107 patients, of whom 28 in a serious condition.

Of the 28 in a serious condition 10 were intubated, one in ICU without intubation, and 17 in a high-dependency unit.

The Famagusta referral hospital for Covid-19 held 40 patients, Nicosia general hospital 28 patients, Limassol general 34, and Makarios hospital five.

The death toll from Covid-19 stands at 380, with the average age of the deceased at 77.3 years.