COVID-19 cases in the Republic of Cyprus have surpassed 500 as health services confirmed another 32 on Wednesday as infections remain relatively high since the outbreak.
Cyprus COVID-19 cases continue to rise for the second day in a row as the Health Ministry announced another 32 cases – from 29 on Tuesday – taking the total to 526 since the outbreak last month.
Cases have been lower since reaching a peak of 58 on 1 April.
Health authorities said that 24 of the new cases came from tracing contacts of those already infected, and 8 cases are being investigated.
Wednesday’s 32 cases were detected from a total of 1,256 tests.
A total of 14,273 tests have been carried out which have resulted in the 526 positive results, 390 cases were infected in Cyprus.
Nine people have died from COVID-19.
Ministry of Health advisor Leontios Kostrikis said Wednesday’s results included one new case from the Paphos cluster and one from the hotspot in Aradippou.
A total of 704 tests have been carried out in Paphos during the past few days with only four testing positive, while 525 tests carried out in Aradippou resulted in another 7 cases.
Aradippou has the largest number of coronavirus cases in Cyprus.
Kostrikis said the results are an indication of a large number of asymptomatic patients who unknowingly are spreading the virus.
“Some 30% of all cases are asymptomatic and not diagnosed. That is why it is vital that we abide by decrees and stay home. These days are especially crucial and will determine the result for the way forward”.
Dr Marios Loizou of the Cyprus State Health Services Organisation, said 24 people are being treated at COVID-19 referral hospital Famagusta General.
Three patients are in the Special Care Unit, five were discharged.
Thirteen people are on life-support, two at Limassol General Hospital’s ICU and another 11 at the Nicosia ICU. Their condition is stable but critical.
Loizou said the city of Wuhan in Hubei, China, where the outbreak began, is celebrating its liberation from the virus after remaining 76 days in quarantine.
“When we first heard of the lockdown in Wuhan city, the measures imposed seemed distant and strange. However, we are experiencing a similar situation. The reopening of Wuhan tells us that there is light at the end of the tunnel. We need to be patient,” said Loizou.
Turkish Cypriot authorities announced another COVID-19 case on Wednesday, taking the total number of infections in the Turkish occupied north to 95 and three deaths.
Health services in the north have given the all-clear to 44 COVID-19 patients.
Divided Cyprus now has 621 cases and registered 12 deaths.
