One person died on Saturday from Covid-19 while 428 new cases were recorded, the ministry of health said.

The death referred to an 80-year-old woman who had been in Famagusta general hospital. Her death brings the total since the start of the pandemic to 608, of which 389 were men and 219 women.

Meanwhile, 145 patients are being treated in hospital, of whom 42 are in a serious condition. Among these patients 20 are intubated, two are in the ICU but not on a ventilator and 20 are being treated in a high dependency unit.

Of all patients in hospital 79.32 per cent have no history of vaccination.

Five patients remain in the post Covid ward in the ICU.

A total of 78,007 tests were carried out on Saturday, giving a positivity rate of 0.55 per cent. Of these tests 9,499 were PCR tests.

Among the positives 18 were found among 4,492 tests carried out at the airports, while 98 of those who took a test on private initiative also tested positive as did 8 people from 226 samples tested at labs at state hospitals.

Among 50,420 tests carried out at private labs and pharmacies 204 cases were found while the 18,088 people tested at ministry of health free rapid test centre showed 100 new cases.

The total number of cases since the start of the pandemic has now reached 140,458.