The health ministry announced 244 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday from a total of 11,163 PCR and rapid tests.

The total number of cases since March has reached 28,609 while Cyprus is now counting 166 deaths – 110 men and 56 women — attributed to Covid. The average age is 79.

Of the 57 people in critical condition in the island’s hospitals, 30 are on ventilators and six are being treated in ICUs without intubation. Twenty-one people are in high dependency units.

Health authorities said the 244 new cases confirmed on Friday were from 11,163 tests, of which 139 of the positives came from the rapid tests.

For PCR, some 49 cases were detected among 314 samples taken as part of contact tracing while 43 cases emerged from 1,287 tests conducted by private initiative.

Three cases were found after 233 tests were carried out at airports.

Eight cases were detected in 346 samples tested by state hospital labs and 31 cases were detected in samples from people referred by GPs.