Nicosia, Larnaca showing climbing positivity rate

A national surveillance report published Friday indicated a climbing positivity rate in Nicosia and Larnaca, and despite a small drop in Limassol the district continues to be by far the most epidemiologically burdened district.

The report, covering the period between March 17 and March 30, showed that Limassol’s positivity rate dropped to 0.8% from 1, while in Nicosia the rate rose to 0.5% from 0.3% and in Larnaca to 0.6% from 0.4%.

The report showed that during those two weeks, a total of 4,871 coronavirus cases were diagnosed islandwide, with the R number close to 1 (0.94). The cumulative diagnosis rate has also stabilised but at a high level, at 548.5 per 100,000 people.

The new cases emerged after a total of 58,847 PCR and 573,258 rapid antigen tests, with 1.6% (78) of cases imported and 98.4% (4,793) locally-acquired. Of these, 2,430 (49.9%) were reported in Limassol, 1,240 (25.5%) in Nicosia, 603 (12.4%) in Larnaca, 298 (6.1%) in Paphos, 211 (4.3%) in Famagusta, and 89 (1.8%) were reported either in the British bases or had a residence abroad, or information was not available.

The report showed that among cases detected during those two weeks, 31.1% (1,516) reported no symptoms at diagnosis and 68.9% (3,355) reported at least one symptom, while 1,185 cases (24.3%) reported at least one comorbidity.

Overall until March 30, a total of 44,441 coronavirus cases were detected in Cyprus, of which 250 succumbed to the virus, indicating a case fatality risk of 0.6%. The COVID-19 associated mortality is 29.2 per 100,000 people.

Fatalities involved 172 men (66.4%) and 87 (33.6%) women, aged on average 81 years old. By district of residence, 95 (36.7%) deceased cases were from Limassol, 89 (34.4%) from Nicosia, 43 (16.6%) from Larnaca, 18 (6.9%) from Paphos, 11 (4.2%) from Famagusta, and three deaths (1.2%) occurred among cases reported either in the British bases or had a residence abroad, or information was not available. The median time from date of sampling to death (due to COVID-19) was 13 days (IQR: 7-20 days).

A total of 2,386 cases (5.4%) received hospital care until March 31, with patients aged on average 64 years old.

Overall, 244 cases (10.2% of all hospitalized patients) have been admitted to an ICU. The median age of patients ever admitted to ICU was 69 years, with the overall median length of stay in an ICU being 13 days.

By March 31, among cases alive, 83.6% (36,872) of COVID-19 cases have recovered or been released from isolation.