Cyprus reports first COVID-19 death

Cyprus' Health Ministry announced the country's first death linked to COVID-19 late on Saturday night.

A ministry statement said the deceased is a man who belonged to high risk group as he was being treated for liver cirrhosis, acute liver failure, acute renal failure due to chronic renal failure and chronic heart failure.

"During his treatment at the Paphos hospital he came into contact with a COVID-19 patient who was being treated at the same clinic and later tested positive himself, which worsened his health," the statement said.

Earlier on Saturday the Health Ministry reported nine new coronavirus infections, four of which related to people who came from abroad. The new cases raised the total to 84 in the part of Cyprus under the jurisdiction of the internationally recognized government of the island.

With one new case reported by authorities in the Turkish-controlled part of Cyprus, which reported 34 cases up to now, the total for the island rose to 118 confirmed cases.