A significant decrease in the weekly COVID-19 positivity rate is indicated, according to the National Surveillance Report up to May 11, released on Friday.

The Ministry of Health has said the drop in positive rate is due to the lockdown imposed for two weeks and vaccinations which seem to have accelerated the declining trend of COVID.

According to the Ministry, the rapid test programme shows a great drop of positive cases in the week after Easter which continues this week. In the first week after Easter, the drop was estimated at around 50% compared to the Holy Week, while this week, the decline was around 60-70%.

The declining trend is also evident in other districts.

Indicatively, the weekly percentage of the positivity rate in Cyprus decreased to 0.6% in the week after Easter from 1.2% in the Holy Week, while this week it is around 0.2%.

The same downward trend is observed in the percentage of positive rate in nursing homes, where the percentage has returned to 0.3% after an increase recorded in the period 12-25 April.

As of May 11th, 2021, a total of 68,793 COVID-19 cases have been diagnosed, of which 342 died due to COVID-19 (case fatality risk: 0.5%).

In the last 14 days (28 April – 11 May, 2021), 6,121 cases were diagnosed. The 14-day cumulative diagnosis rate is 689.3 per 100,000 population.

The median age was 35 years 51.7% were females, 48.2% males, and for three cases (0.1%) information is not currently available.
A total of 1.4% were imported and 98.6% were locally-acquired.

As of May 12th, 2021, 212 people were still hospitalised. The median age of patients still hospitalised is 62 years, 58.5% are males, and 35.4% are from Nicosia district. Hundred-eighteen cases (55.7%) still hospitalised have comorbidities.

Of 38 cases in intensive care units (ICU), who are currently notified and diagnosed till May 11th, 36 are intubated. The median age of current ICU patients is 66 years and 24 (63.1%) are males. Twenty-six (68.4%) patients currently in ICU have pre-existing conditions.

Over the last 14 days, 97,313 RT PCR and 698,772 rapid antigen tests have been performed .
Fatality rates
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According to the Deaths Report until May 12, 409 deaths diagnosed with COVID-19 have occurred. Sixty-seven percent are men (273) and 136 or 33% were women.

Out of deaths, 409 or 84% were caused by COVID-19; 66% or 226 of these were men while 34% or 116 were women.
In addition, one in five deaths occurs in the 80-84 age group (84). However, the median age of people with the underlying cause of COVID-19 has decreased from 82 years in 2020 to 78 years in 2021.

December 2020 and January 2021 continue to record the greatest loss of life as regards people diagnosed with the disease from the beginning of the pandemic with the percentage reaching 42% of total deaths (85 and 86 deaths respectively). April follows with 63 deaths or 15%.

Geographically, the largest percentage of deaths with COVID as the underlying cause, came from Limassol (125, 37%). Nicosia follows with 119 or 35%, Larnaca with 57, 17%, Paphos 23, 7%, Famagusta with 14, 4%, and four deaths which residency was not ascertained.

Limassol has the greatest mortality rate with 50.3% deaths per 100,000 population. Larnaca follows with 38.3 deaths per 100,000 and Nicosia with 34.4 deaths per 100,000 population.

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