Cyprus on Wednesday announced only two more coronavirus cases, but the COVID-19 death toll rose to 17 after an elderly woman died from the virus.
The two new cases were detected after conducting 1,946 lab tests.
According to the Ministry of Health, an 85-year-old woman with serious underlying health conditions died at Limassol General, where she was treated in the hospital’s ICU.
The woman’s death was directly linked to COVID-19, despite other serious medical factors.
The death toll of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 has risen to 24 but those who died as a direct result of COVID-19 is 17, eleven of which were men and six women with a median age of 71.4.
On the basis of the data, the number of confirmed cases in Cyprus has reached 905, including 11 in the British Bases.
Cyprus’ new COVID-19 infections involved one case detected from tests carried out by private initiative, and the other was found from tracing contacts of known cases.
Presenting Wednesday’s data, a member of the epidemiological team Dr Leontios Kostrikis said that some 546 tests were carried out on the staff of retail shops and construction sites.
These tests were conducted in the framework of the second patch of 20,000 free tests launched on 4 May to cover staff of businesses who reopened with the first stage of relaxing measures. The scheme is voluntary.
Asked by the Financial Mirror why the number of tests was low (below 100) in previous days, Dr Kostrikis said there was a low take up with around 3,500 asking to be tested since its launch.
The epidemiologist said the Health Ministry has asked the Federation of Employers and Industrialists (OEB) and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce (KEVE) to convince their members to encourage their staff to take advantage of the opportunity to get tested for free.
He said the authorities have thought about making it compulsory to get tested.
Meanwhile, at Famagusta General, there are now just five COVID-19 patients while three patients were discharged.
Just three patients are breathing with the help of a ventilator, all in Nicosia General Hospital’s ICU.
The number of hospitalized cases announced is by far the lowest number in the last seven weeks.
Dr Marios Loizou of the Cyprus State Health Services Organisation said: “This, combined with minimal to zero cases being hospitalised, fully confirms the positive image we have seen in recent days”.
Dr Loizou reported a first for Cyprus health services after a young woman suffering from severe pneumonia as a result of contracting COVID-19, was treated and finally recovered with the use of what he called the ECMO method.
“This involves the use of a device which essentially replaces lung function while enabling it to recover.”
