One person has died from Covid and 883 new infections have been detected after 103,603 tests, a positivity rate of 0.85 per cent, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

The death concerns a 65-year-old man who died at Nicosia general hospital.

The ministry said 172 people were being treated in hospital, 64 in serious condition.

Over 77 per cent of the Covid patients were not vaccinated.

The number of deaths from Covid since the outbreak of the pandemic in March last year is 624 while recorded infections reached 147,685.

Of the 64 patients in serious condition, 26 are intubated, two are in an ICU but off the ventilator, and 36 in high dependency units.

Among the new cases are 151 who were close contacts of previously confirmed infections. They were detected in 1,438 samples.

Forty-nine infections were reported at the two airports after 4,855 tests to arriving passengers and 156 infections were among 3,560 samples tested privately.

An additional 11 cases were reported by state hospital labs in 402 samples.

Private labs and pharmacies reported 352 cases in 56,223 samples tested using the rapid method, while units that are part of the state’s screening programme reported 163 cases among 37,085 samples.

One case was detected in 40 samples tested following their referral by GPs.

Turkish Cypriots reported two deaths and 179 new infections on Wednesday after 15,388 tests.

The number of deaths from Covid in the north has reached 133 while recorded infections since March last year stood at 33,672.