Coronavirus: One death, 277 new cases (updated)

One person died from coronavirus on Sunday while 277 new cases were recorded, the first day that free rapid tests were no longer available to the general public.

The total number of people who have died so far from Covid is 422, of which 277 were men and 145 women.

The latest death was a 52-year-old man who died in the intensive care unit at Nicosia general hospital.

A total of 301 people are being treated in hospital of which 86 are in a serious condition. Of all patients 89.85 per cent have no history of vaccination.

Of the 86, a total of 42 are intubated, three are in ICU but not intubated and 41 are in a high dependency unit.

The cases were found from 23,254 PCR and rapid tests, a number way lower than the previous day’s record of over 94,000.

The 277 cases represent a positivity rate of 1.19 per cent and bring to 102,223 the total number of cases recorded since the start of the pandemic.

Of the tests carried out on Sunday, 6,218 were PCR and 17,036 were rapid tests.

Four of the new cases were found  from 27 tests on contacts of known cases, while 12 more were found among 4,481 tests carried out at Larnaca and Paphos airports.

A total of 96 were found through tests carried out on private initiative and six were found among 59 tests carried out at state hospital labs.

Meanwhile. 37 were found among 1,932 rapid tests carried out at private labs and pharmacies.

The government’s free rapid test programme turned up 122 cases from 15,104 tests.

In addition 22 cases were found in closed facilities among 762 people tested.