Coronavirus: three deaths, 635 more people test positive on Friday (Updated)

The health ministry on Friday announced three deaths and 635 new coronavirus cases after a total of 74,122 tests – the positivity rate of 0.86 per cent reflecting the gradual stabilisation in the epidemiological situation after a rapid deterioration earlier this month.

The three deaths are of two men aged 59 and 83 and a woman aged 77 and bring the total number of Covid-19 deaths to 419 with an average age of 77.2. The two men died in Nicosia Hospital and the woman at Limassol Hospital.

There are a total of 279 patients in the state hospitals, 85 of them in serious condition. Thirty-six patients are intubated and two are in the ICU but not on the ventilator. Another 47 are in high dependency units. Of the 279 patients, 90 per cent do not have a vaccination history, the ministry said.

A total of 74,122 tests were carried out of which 7603 were PCR and the remaining 66,519 antigen rapid tests. The 635 new cases detected bring the total since the start of the pandemic to 101,409.

The new positive cases were seven from 3676 tests among arriving passengers, 147 from 3707 tests through private initiative, 26 from 220 tests from hospital labs, 47 from 2963 rapid tests at private clinics and pharmacies and 408 from 63,556 rapid tests through the ministry’s free programme. Two were in  care home in Nicosia.

The positivity rate for the ministry’s rapid tests were Nicosia 0.53 per cent, Limassol 0.76 per cent, Larnaca 0.65 per cent, Paphos 0.51 per cent and Famagusta 1.13 per cent.