COVID19: Cyprus keeps new cases down to one

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Cyprus remains on track to recording zero new COVID-19 cases just two days before it moves to the second stage out of lockdown after health services reported only one case on Tuesday.

The new infection takes the total of COVID-19 cases reported in Cyprus since the outbreak began on March 9 to 918 (including 12 in the British Bases).

Daily cases have remained stable in single-digit figures for almost three weeks, with Tuesday’s data proving that Cyprus has hunted down the virus.

Tuesday’s case was identified after 1,882 tests were carried out.

The case was identified among 276 tests conducted by hospital labs.

Meanwhile, as announced by the health services on Tuesday some 514 tests were carried out on school students and teachers among whom did no new cases were found.

Health Ministry experts presenting Tuesday’s data were pleased to report the number of cases is within the expected range.

Member of the Epidemiological Monitoring Unit and virologist Dr Leontios Kostrikis said: “We have every reason to be satisfied with the results of today’s diagnostic tests.

The close to zero numbers of new daily cases are a reward for the great effort we have made as a country and as a society over the last two months”.

He added that as a result, the government has already announced that the excellent epidemiological data allow for the next stage of relaxing restrictive measures.

“The scientific committee expresses satisfaction and reiterates its call to the public to preserve at all costs what we have achieved all this time.”

On Tuesday, just three people were inpatients at Famagusta General, which operates as the COVID-19 reference hospital.

One patient, in a stable condition, is being treated at the hospital’s Acute Care Unit (ACU), while one patient was discharged.

Three patients are breathing with the help of a ventilator, all at Nicosia General Hospital ICU.

A fourth patient at Nicosia General ICU is currently being treated without being intubated.

The condition of all patients in the ICUs is described as “critical but stable.”

Dr Marios Loizou of the Cyprus State Health Services Organisation urged authorities to invest in public health institutions.

“If there is one thing this pandemic has taught us is that investing in public health, is more than just the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do,” said Dr Loizou.

He said the core of the health system needed to be strengthened even as we fight the spread of the virus.

Globally, the number of coronavirus cases has surpassed 4.9 million and deaths have reached 321,000, while 1.93 million patients have recovered.