Coronavirus: 346 new cases, no deaths (Updated)

The health ministry reported 346 new Covid-19 infections on Wednesday following 53,832 tests – a positivity rate of 0.64 per cent. No deaths were announced.

There are 81 people in hospital with the virus, 37 of them in serious condition. The ministry said 60.5 per cent of those in hospital have not been vaccinated.

Wednesday’s reported infections were identified via 4,757 PCR tests and 49,075 rapid tests.

The PCR tests found the following: 74 from 799 contact tracing tests, two from 1,666 airport tests, 77 from 1,828 taken privately and seven from 247 hospital tests.

The 24,271 rapid tests taken privately – typically amongst the unvaccinated who are not eligible for free testing – identified 112 infections.

The government’s screening programme for select groups carried out 24,804 tests and identified 74 positives.

Notably, four positives were identified at a Nicosia care home. Six primary school students tested positive along with 19 secondary school students.

The north reported 160 new Covid-19 infections on Wednesday and that there are 94 patients receiving treatment, 12 of whom are in ICU. About 66 per cent of those in hospital in the north for Covid-19 are unvaccinated, according to reports.

As of November 16, a total of 278,279 have been vaccinated in the north with at least the first dose (72.85 per cent of the eligible population).