COVID19: Cyprus records two deaths

As Cyprus cracks down on free movement it recorded two new coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday, bringing the total to three since the outbreak on March 9.

The Health Ministry said two patients have died from Covid-19, while another eight have tested positive, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 124 (three were in the British Bases) of which 65 were infected in Cyprus.

The two dead are a 63-year-old Briton resident in Cyprus and of a 58-year-old Cypriot man.

The Briton had underlying health issues, for which he was being treated at the Intensive Care Unit in Paphos General Hospital, but the Cypriot had no underlying health conditions.

Among those being treated four people are on ventilators, two of which are at Limassol General Hospital’s ICU and two at the Nicosia General’s ICU.

Famagusta General Hospital is currently treating 19 people, three of whom are in the ICU.

The Ministry expects that the number of cases at hospital ICUs will increase as more people will need to be put on ventilators.

“Unfortunately, our efforts to fight the pandemic is now in the next phase. We are dealing with more serious incidents,” the Health Ministry said.

“We hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but it has. The main problem is severe pneumonia. The big battle is now fought daily in the ICUs of hospitals and support departments…we need time to prepare ourselves as best we can.”

The Ministry also said that it is preparing to increase beds for COVID-19 patients as additional wards have been evacuated at the Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca General Hospitals.

Beds are intended for severe cases such as pneumonia.

Currently, there are 32 beds at ICU units, a number the ministry wants to gradually bring up to 125.

The Health Ministry once again called on the public to abide by instructions and decrees issued by the government as the country’s health services need to buy time in order to be able to care for all people who are seriously ill.