COVID19: Four die in Nicosia care homes

Four elderly people have died in care homes this month taking the COVID death toll since the outbreak in March to 95 while nearly half occurred in December.

The Health Ministry confirmed the deaths on Monday, but they died earlier in December in two nursing homes in Nicosia where they were being treated.

A man, aged 86 and a 100-year-old woman died on December 2 at the Klimentios nursing home.

The other two deaths concerned a 90-year-old woman who died on December 13 and a 78-year-old man, who died a day later, both resided at the Golden Age nursing home.

“The cause of death of the four individuals is attributed to the COVID-19 virus,” the ministry said.

Asked by the Financial Mirror, a Health Ministry representative said the elderly people who died from COVID-19 were not considered to need hospitalisation.

“The clinical picture of the patients did not dictate their transfer to a hospital.”

“As we have said in the past, the people remaining in care homes are treated in isolation from the rest of the residents,” said the ministry official.

The ministry said there was a delay in confirming the deaths because they died outside of a hospital.

The four deaths announced on Monday bring the number of people who died from coronavirus in Cyprus to 95 (44 in December); 61 men and 34 women.

The average age of people who have died from COVID-19 is now 79.