LATEST R NUMBER FOR CYPRUS BETWEEN 1.5 AND 2

 Cyprus Mail 23 October 2020 - by George Psyllides

The reproductive number (R number) of the coronavirus in the Republic was between 1.5 and two as of Tuesday, October 20, the health ministry said on Friday as authorities struggled to contain the spread of the disease which has recorded a huge spike in the past 10 days or so.

According to the national surveillance report, as of October 20 a total of 2,704 Covid-19 cases and 32 deaths — case fatality rate: 1.2 per cent — have been reported in the Republic.

The median age of cases was 35 years with 52.8 per cent being male and 47.2 per cent female.

Of the 2,448 cases for which the place of exposure was known, locally acquired infections — index cases and close contacts of confirmed cases — were 1,882, or 76.9 per cent.

In the last 14 days, between October 7 and 20, of 805 cases sampled and notified, 10.8 per cent were imported, 82.1 per cent were locally acquired, and 7.1 per cent were of unknown origin.

In total, 9.9 per cent of cases received hospital care, and 24, or 9 per cent, were still hospitalised — either for treatment of Covid-19 symptoms or for pre-existing conditions after having recovered from Covid.

The median age of hospitalised patients was 60 years with and 61.2 per cent being male.

There were two patients in intensive care and both intubated, as of October 20.

Just over 59 per cent cases, or 1,581, have recovered — without symptoms and with two negative tests following their diagnosis or released 21 days after diagnosis.

A total of 444,911 tests had been carried out as of October 20, or 50,794.7 per 100,000 people.