Coronavirus: Two deaths, 339 new cases on Tuesday (updated)

The health ministry announced two more deaths from Covid-19 on Tuesday, raising the total number of deaths to 84, and 339 new cases – of which 98 were rapid test verifications.

The two deaths are a 91-year-old man with underlying health conditions who was receiving treatment at the Famagusta general hospital and a 74-year-old man, again with underlying health conditions, also in the same hospital after his transfer there from a care home.

So far, 54 men and 30 women have died, at an average age of 78.

The new cases brings to 15,789 the total number recorded so far.

A total of 4,989 PCR tests were carried out on Tuesday with the majority being taken privately.

Of the 2,396 private tests, 117 returned positive. A further 709 contact tracing tests identified 86 positives, 352 tests done by the hospitals returned 34 positives and 98 of the 103 rapid tests sent for verification returned positive.

Of the 934 tests taken by airport travellers none were positive.

A total 6,744 rapid tests were taken and returned 196 positives, which will be sent for PCR verification.

Data from the rapid tests showed that the highest positivity rate was recorded in Larnaca (5.71 per cent), followed by Limassol (5.09 per cent), Paphos (2.86 per cent), Nicosia (2.75 per cent) and Famagusta (2.52 per cent).

As of Tuesday evening, 122 people with Covid-19 were being treated in the island’s hospital, of which 22 were in a serious condition.

Of the 22, twelve are intubated, one is receiving treatment in the ICU without a ventilator and nine are in high dependency units.

Famagusta general hospital has the highest number of patients with 63, followed by Limassol with 31, Nicosia with 27 and Makarios with one.

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