COVID19: Cyprus in midst of corona storm

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Cyprus is sailing in choppy waters with the second wave of coronavirus threatening to overwhelm health authorities as daily cases notched up another three-digit figure.

The Health Ministry on Saturday reported 130 new COVID-19 cases from 4,285 tests taking the total number of infections since the outbreak in March to 3,444.

This follows the 160 cases reported on Friday. It is the fifth day running when infections have topped the 100 mark.

More than a third of COVID-19 cases have erupted in October with the government bring in wider restrictions to try and flatten the spike before the cold weather sets in.

Rising cases has also had a knock-on effect with an increase in hospital admissions as 28 people are now being treated in hospitals for COVID.

The fact that two patients are intubated at Nicosia General ICU while another four people are in the Acute Care Unit of Famagusta General, the COVID-19 referral hospital, is viewed as “particularly worrying.”
Some 31 people tested positive through the contact tracing of known cases while 81 people tested positive at private labs.

From 268 samples taken after GP referrals and the screening of special groups through the public health centres, 9 people tested positive.

Out of 1,085 tests on airport arrivals, five people tested positive and two more in a testing programme on students, teachers, and school staff.

The government is hoping that a night-time curfew imposed on coronavirus hotspots Limassol and Paphos and the wearing of masks outdoors will help authorities control virus spike.