Coronavirus: Three die as over 2,500 new cases seen

A total of 2,602 new coronavirus infections were detected in Cyprus from 53.528 tests in the past seven days, giving a positivity rate of 4.86 per cent, the health ministry said on Friday.

Three people have died in the same week after being infected with Covid-19, date for December 23 to 29 shows.

The three deaths concerned a man aged 79 who died on December 22, a 91-year-old woman on December 23, and an 89-year-old man on December 27.

The new fatalities raised the total number of deaths since the pandemic outbreak on the island to 1,258.

At the moment, 84 coronavirus patients are being treated in state hospitals, of whom eight are in a serious condition, with three intubated.

Most infections – 2,394 – were traced after 52,039 rapid tests resulting in a 4.6 per cent positivity rate. The positivity rate for the 1,489 PCR tests carried out over the past seven days, was almost triple, at 13.97 per cent with 208 cases detected.

Thirty cases were detected at nursing homes and three at 24/7 facilities after 4,199 and 1,527 rapid tests respectively.