Coronavirus: Five deaths, 207 new cases announced (update 2)

The health ministry announced a further death on Friday night, bringing the daily tally of those who have died with coronavirus to five, although it will not be known until Saturday if the 61-year-old woman died as a direct result of the virus.

On Friday, a total of 207 cases were announced, over half of which were in Limassol.

An 80-year-old with underlying problems who was being treated at Nicosia general hospital’s ICU died, the ministry said earlier in the evening, while another three deaths had been announced in the day.

The first three deaths referred to a 54-year-old woman with no underlying health problems, an 85-year-old man from the Sokration nursing home who had been in the Famagusta hospital, and a 72-year-old man. The two men both had other health issues.

The ministry said so far 38 – 24 men — have died with Covid being the cause of death. The average age was 75.

Forty-two patients, five in the high dependency unit, are being treated at Famagusta hospital. Seventeen are being treated in Nicosia, with eight in the ICU, two off the ventilator.

The total number of cases since March has now reached 6,853.

Of the 207 cases, 73 were contacts of previously confirmed cases detected among 881 tests.

An additional 100 cases were detected among 1,616 samples at private labs.

Ten cases were detected by labs at state hospitals after 179 tests; a further 21 were among 43 tests to people referred by GPs or people belonging to special groups.

Two were detected in schools and one through a screening programme launched by the football association across all leagues.

One case was announced by Turkish Cypriots on Friday after 2,653 tests.

The case concerns a traveller who arrived by air.

The tally in the north since March has reached 943 with five deaths.

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