COVID19: Cyprus finally off ECDC ‘red list’

Cyprus’ improving epidemiological data has allowed the Mediterranean island to move out of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s (ECDC) high-risk ‘red’ zone and into the less risky ‘orange’.

The island’s health authorities struggled to bring the country out of the highest-risk ‘dark red’ zone it had fallen to in July when Covid-19 cases reached four-digit figures.

A fourth wave of infections, powered by the deadlier and more contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, pushed daily cases up to 1,152 mid-July. The outbreak was brought under control with a push in vaccinations and testing programmes.

Orange zone areas are defined as those where the 14-day cumulative Covid-19 case notification rate is below 50 and the test positivity rate is 4% or more, or the 14-day cumulative Covid-19 case notification rate is between 50 and 75 and the test positivity rate is 1% or more, or the 14-day cumulative Covid-19 case notification rate is between 75 and 200 and the test positivity rate is lower than 4%.

Cyprus has maintained a test positivity rate below 1% throughout the latter part of September and in October.

Red zone areas are defined as the areas where the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 case notification rate ranges from 75 to 200 and the test positivity rate of tests for COVID-19 infection is 4% or more, or the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 case notification rate is more than 200 but less than 500 (when the cumulative rate exceeds 500 the area enters the “deep red” zone).

Currently, several areas in Greece, the entirety of Bulgaria, Germany, most of Austria, Ireland, Slovenia and Croatia remain in the red zone. The Baltic countries, Slovenia and regions of Romania are in the deep red zone.

Several parts of Spain, France and Italy, as well as the North Aegean have passed into the green category.

ECDC publishes relevant maps and data every Thursday, in support of the Council recommendation on a coordinated approach to the restriction of free movement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.