The health ministry announced six deaths and 690 cases of Covid-19 on Thursday from 50,902 PCR and repaid tests with a positivity rate of 1.36 per cent.

The deaths concerned three men and three women between the ages of 67 and 97, bringing the total to 283.

The men who died were aged 67, 68 and 82. All had underlying conditions. The 67-year-old and the 82-year-old had had their first vaccine dose. The third man had not.

Of the woman aged 85, 97 and 71, all had underlying conditions and none were vaccinated.

Two deaths occurred at the hospital in Famagusta and one each at the hospitals in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, and Paphos. Of the total 283 deaths, 186 have been men and 97 women with an average age of 78.

There are 251 people in hospitals – a record number – of whom 64 are in serious condition. Of these, 34 are intubated.

Of the 50,902 tests on Thursday, 4,700 were PCR and 46,202 rapid tests with total positives of 690 as follows:

  • 136 cases from 1,077 samples taken through contact tracing
  • 3 cases from 1,026 samples taken as part of a passenger checks at Larnaca and Paphos airports.
  • 129 cases from 1,954 samples taken through private initiative.
  • 34 cases from 509 samples tested at hospital labs
  • 1 case from 134 samples through GP referrals
  • 34 cases from 649 samples tested by private laboratories and pharmacies
  • 353 cases from 45,553 samples taken as part of the free testing programme

From the latter, 116 cases were detected in Nicosia, 85 in Limassol, 68 in Larnaca, 19 in Paphos, 26 in Famagusta, 34 in secondary schools and three in the National Guard.