Cyprus marks decrease in daily new cases, hospitalisations

A new national surveillance report issued Friday detailing the data behind coronavirus developments over the two-week period between January 13 and 26 showed a significant decrease in the number of daily cases and hospital admissions.

The two-week period saw 26,328 PCR and 111,662 rapid tests conducted.

Among all cases diagnosed during those two weeks, 904 (41.8%) were reported in the Limassol district, 696 (32.2%) in Nicosia, 321(14.8%) in Larnaca, 124 (5.7%) in Paphos, 77(3.6%) in Famagusta, and 43 (2%) were reported either in the British bases or had a residence abroad, or information was not available.

The rate of positivity has also improved, and currently ranges between 1% and 3%.

Despite the decrease in the number of hospital admissions over the two-week period, the burden in ICUs remains high but has at least stopped growing.

The report showed that by January 26, the Republic detected a total of 30,136 cases and recorded 193 coronavirus fatalities (Case Fatality Risk-CFR: 0.6%).

The coronavirus mortality rate is 21.7 per 100,000 people. So far, 130 men (67.4%) and 63 (32.6%) women have succumbed to the virus, of an average age of 82 (IQR: 74-87years).

In total, 4.9% (1,474) of people with coronavirus received hospital care by January 27. The median age of hospitalised patients was 66 years (IQR: 52-78 years). Hospitalised cases were mainly males (859; 58.3%).The median age of the 159 patients still hospitalised on January is 71 years (IQR: 61-79 years).

Overall, 156 cases (10.6% of all hospitalised patients) have been admitted to ICU. The median age of patients admitted to ICU was 70 years (IQR: 62-76years). ICU patients are mainly male (105; 67.3%).

By January 27, among cases alive, 83% (24,929) of COVID-19 cases have recovered/released from isolation, of which 1,315 (5.3%) tested negative two consecutive times, and 23,614 (94.7%) have been released as per later guidelines.

The Health Ministry stressed that despite the noticeable improvements as regards epidemiological indices, the gradual lifting of restriction measures come February 1 means extreme caution is required if a renewed relapse is to be avoided.