COVID19: Cyprus health system creaking under pressure

Cyprus’ health system is being pushed to its limits with 25 COVID-19 patients on a ventilator, the highest number since the pandemic began.

The number of people being treated at hospital Intensive and Acute Care Units is also at a high of 46.

Overnight Sunday, a total of 154 COVID-19 patients were in hospitals across the island, up from Saturday’s 149, with 57 patients considered to be critical.

Sunday also saw another death of an elderly patient, taking the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 to 112.

Some 25 patients are being treated at Nicosia General’s ICU, 24 of which are intubated while another patient is on a ventilator at Limassol General.

Another 6 patients are in Famagusta General’s Acute Care Unit with another 14 in Limassol General’s ACU.

Nicosia General’s ICU capacity was breached on Sunday, after it saw the number of patients reach 25, breaking the previous record of 16.

From the patient total, 68 are being treated at the dedicated Covid-reference clinic at Famagusta General.

Cyprus Health Services were forced to open the second ICU in the capital while they reopened Limassol General’s Intensive Care Unit created for coronavirus patients.

Meanwhile, 266 were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 out of the 5,925 tests conducted Sunday, including confirmations of 134 rapid tests done on previous days.

The confirmed COVID-19 cases were the result of 1,970 molecular tests (PCR), with the 450 tests involving airport arrivals.

All 266 cases were local infections and resulted from 1,520 molecular tests, meaning that one in five locals tested were found to be positive.

A further 238 rapid tests samples were positive for COVID-19 and will require PCR confirmation at the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING).