Coronavirus: two deaths, 363 new cases announced on Wednesday (Updated)

The health services on Wednesday announced two deaths from Covid and 363 new cases.

The cases include 111 rapid tests, which were confirmed through PCR.

According to a statement, 116 people are being treated in hospital, 23 in serious condition.

The total number of cases since March has reached 13,649 while Cyprus is now counting 70 deaths – 46 men and 24 women — attributed to Covid. The average age is 77.

The deaths concern two men.

One was a 79-year-old with underlying health issues, who was being treated at Famagusta Covid hospital, after being found positive at a Nicosia care home.

The second person who died was a 98-year-old man with underlying health issues, who was also being treated at Famagusta Covid hospital.

Of the 23 people in critical condition in the island’s hospitals, 12 are on ventilators and three are being treated in ICUs without intubation. Eight people are in high dependency units.

Health authorities said the 363 new cases confirmed on Tuesday were from 3,829 tests.

Eighty-nine cases were detected among 707 samples taken as part of contact tracing while 133 cases emerged from 1,428 tests conducted by private initiative.

Six cases were found after 401 tests carried out at airports.

Twelve cases were detected in 311 samples tested by state hospital labs and three were detected in 254 samples from people referred by GPs.

The ministry said they also carried out 8,424 antigen rapid tests with 236 positives. The results will have to be confirmed through PCR.

Turkish Cypriots announced 17 new cases on Wednesday, after 1,319 tests in the past 24 hours.

Sixteen of the cases were travellers.

The total number of cases detected in the north since March reached 1,223 with six deaths.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.