Coronavirus: two deaths, 527 more people test positive on Saturday after record testing (Updated)

The health ministry announced two deaths and 527 more positives for Covid-19 on Saturday from an all-time record high of 94,279 PCR and rapid tests, a positivity rate of 0.56 per cent.

Saturday was the last day for free rapid tests for unvaccinated people, hence the record testing. Nine positives were found in care homes in the Larnaca area and 7 in the National Guard.

The deaths concerned two men, one aged 68 and the other aged 82. Total deaths since March 2020 stand at 421 with an average age of 77.2 years.

There are 288 people in hospitals of whom 82 are in a serious condition and of those 39 are intubated. According to the ministry’s press release, 91 per cent are unvaccinated.

Of the 94,279 tests on Saturday 7,227 were PCR and 87,052 were rapid tests, yielding 527 positives as follows: 

• 5 from 508 samples taken through contact tracing 
• 8 from 2,570 samples taken at airports 
• 48 from 3,729 samples taken through private initiative.
• 9 from 265 samples processed at hospital labs 
• 2 from 155 samples tested under GP referrals 
• 35 from 2,688 samples tested at private labs and pharmacies
• 420 positives came from 84,364 samples taken under the free testing programme that ended on Saturday except for special sections of society 

By district, Saturday’s 420 positive results under the government programme were as follows:

109 in Nicosia, a positivity of 0.37 per cent

121 in Limassol, a positivity of 0.6 per cent

69 in Larnaca, a positivity of 0.52 per cent

59 in Paphos, a positivity of 0.51 per cent

46 in the Famagusta area, a positivity of 0.49 per cent

9 in care homes in the Larnaca district from 57 tests, a positivity rate of around 12 per cent

7 in the National Guard from 213 tests