Authorities report 704 new cases, two deaths

The health ministry announced 704 new cases and two coronavirus fatalities, raising total cases to 22,019 and total deaths to 119.

The coronavirus fatalities involved two men, aged 67 and 90, both of whom suffered from underlying health conditions.

The new cases emerged after 17,451 tests were conducted.

Of the total of 704 new cases, 364 were people who tested positive to a rapid test. On Monday, the health ministry said that due to the overwhelming reliability of rapid test results, a confirmation of the result through a PCR test will no longer be required.

The remaining 194 were contacts, seven were arrivals to Cyprus airports, 112 were people who took the initiative to get tested, 24 were people who got tested at general hospitals, while three more were detected through the program of repeat tests on arrivals from the UK on the seventh day of their mandatory isolation in local hotels.

Cyprus hospitals are currently treating 159 patients, 41 of which are in critical condition.

68 patients are in the Famagusta general hospital, five of which are in the ICU. The Nicosia general hospital is also treating 49 patients, 24 of which are in the ICU. 37 more coronavirus patients are at the Limassol general hospital, while five more are at the Makario hospital in Nicosia.