An increase in the positivity rate of coronavirus infections among students was registered after the start of the new school year, epidemiologist and member of the health ministry monitoring unit Valentinos Silvestros said on Thursday.

During an interview appeared on Trito, Silvestros said that the majority of Covid-19 infections have been detected mainly in middle and high schools throughout the island.

However, he also stressed that, compared to last year, the situation regarding the virus is now much better.

“An increase in the number of cases at the beginning of the school year was expected, but the general picture compared to last year is completely different,” he said during the interview.

Silvestros also pointed out that the strain called Omicron BA.5, the most contagious one so far along with BA.4, another subvariant of Covid-19, is the most prevalent in the community in Cyprus.

He also added that the largest number of cases were found in the Nicosia and Limassol districts.

Meanwhile, the deputy director of nursing services Evagoras Tambouris said that 460 people received their third and fourth vaccine jabs in the past two days.

Also speaking to Trito on Thursday, Tambouris said that 220 people were vaccinated on Tuesday and the remaining 240 on Wednesday.

“I hope to see an increase in the number of people getting jabbed in the upcoming days,” he said.