One more person has died, a man aged 83 years, and another 32 people have tested positive for coronavirus, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
The people who died so far are seven men and a woman, six of them with underlying health conditions.
This brings the total number of deaths to eight and the total number of confirmed cases to 262 (including nine in the British Bases).
The average age of the people who died is 68 years.
According to the update from the Ministry of Health, the new confirmed cases are:
- 13 found through tracing of the contacts of people who were found positive to Coronavirus
- 4 are from the British Bases
- 15 whose history is being investigated
Dr Leontios Kostrikis said that 143 of the 262 confirmed cases are from contact with other people found positive to Coronavirus.
7,397 lab tests have so far been conducted by the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics and the Microbiology Department of the Nicosia Hospital.
23 people have so far been cured from the virus.
Kostrikis said that today’s large number of confirmed cases is no surprise.
“This was expected and this was the reason why as a scientific committee we suggested to the government to step up movement restrictions to contain infection sources and help the Epidemiological Monitoring Unit to trace more easily the chain of the virus,” he said.
He also said that data is expected to change for the better given that the public adheres to the restriction measures to the greatest possible extent.
He finally called on everyone anew to stay home.
Dr Marios Loizou, Scientific Director of Okypy’s Nicosia office said that until 6pm today 28 people were being treated at the Famagusta referral hospital, five of whome in the increased care unit.
One person was also discharged on Tuesday.
11 people are intubated; 4 in the ICU of Limassol Hospital and 7 in the ICU of Nicosia Hospital. The condition of these patients was described as stable but critical.
Loizou also mentioned that a woman found positive to Coronavirus has given birth a while ago at Makarios Hospital in Nicosia by C-section, and that both the mother and the baby will remain in hospital for treatment in isolation.
He said that both the mother and the baby are in good health and that the baby will be tested for Coronavirus.
Asked to what extent face masks can provide protection in public areas, Loizou said that there is no clear instruction on the matter but took the opportunity to stress the need to follow announced instructions, e.g. to follow hand hygiene and to not touch face with hands, and to make sure we keep a safe distance from one another.
Responding to a question, Kostrikis said that up until March 28, of the positive cases, 57% are men and 43% women. The majority (66%) are aged between 25-59. The over 60 age group accounts for 26% and the under 19 years account for 5%.
By district the distribution of positive cases is: Famagusta 14.5%, Larnaca 23.1%, Limassol 3.3%, Nicosia 9.7% and Paphos 39.3%.
