Cyprus cases hit record daily high

New cases in the Republic of Cyprus hit a record daily high on Thursday when 233 cases were detected after 3,756 tests were conducted, while hospitalised coronavirus carriers surged to 65 islandwide.

Thursday’s new cases raised the total detected in the Republic since the outbreak of the virus in March to 5,333.

The majority, 113 cases, involved contacts of other new cases. According to the health ministry’s announcement on Thursday, one in seven tested through contract tracing came back positive for the virus.

Another 77 were people who got tested at their own initiatives, while 16 were tested at general hospitals. An announcement by the state health services earlier on Thursday said seven cases were detected at the pathology ward of the Limassol general hospital, involving five patients and two hospital staff.

11 more were detected among arrivals at Cyprus airports, while an additional nine involved people who were either part of special health groups or who were referred for testing by their GP.

Thursday’s cases also included four cases that were detected through the program targeting school students and staff, one case detected through the ongoing sampling program of the Cyprus Football Association, and two residents of migrant camps.

The Famagusta general hospital is currently treating 50 coronavirus patients, five of which are in the ICU, while the Nicosia general is treating five coronavirus patients in the ICU and an additional 10 patients in its coronavirus ward.

Compared to last Thursday, the number of hospitalised patients increased by 23, with the health ministry reiterating the need for the public to show extreme care as the health system’s abilities are not limitless, while the protection of the elderly and vulnerable groups lies in the collective responsibility of all.