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One woman dies, 17 people test positive to Covid-19

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Another 17 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Cyprus out of 804 lab tests, bringing the total to 633, including 10 at the British Bases, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

One person died at the Famagusta referral hospital on Saturday night, a woman aged 82 years. The patient had underlying health conditions but the final cause of death was determined as covid-19.

This brings the total number of the dead to 16, 11 of whom had Covid-19 as the final cause of death.

The 11 fatalities are seven men and four women with an average age 69 years.

Dr Leontios Kostrikis said that the numbers of positive cases recorded today are in line with a downward trend recorded in recent days.

“This data reinforces the scientific team’s confidence in the effectiveness of the strategy in force. We can’t thank you enough as the results we are seeing are thanks to your contribution,” he said but urged caution as of tomorrow as the start of the holy week may increase the need for movement.

“We call on everyone to take self-protection measures and keep contacts to a minimum. Always remember that there are asymptomatic cases among us who can transmit the virus very easily without knowing it. Do not take our current success for granted. Stay home. Do not endanger your own heath and that of your loved ones,” he said.

The new confirmed cases are:

  • 10 people found through tracing
  • 1 was found through the 20,000 tests conducted in the general population
  • 6 people whose history is being investigated

Of the cases that were being investigated in earlier days, 8 were traced back to a contact and 9 are still being looked into.

17,923 tests have so far been conducted by CING, Okypy labs and private labs.

482 of the 633 cases are from contacts, contracted in Cyprus.

65 people have so far been cured from the virus.

Until 3pm on Sunday 25 people with Coronavirus were being treated at the Famagusta referral hospital, 3 of whom in the increased care unit. Four people were discharged.

8 patients are intubated in ICUs; 2 at Limassol Hospital and 6 at Nicosia Hospital. 5 additional patients are being treated at the Nicosia hospital ICU but without intubation. The clinical condition of all ICU patients was described as critical but stable.

Dr Marios Loizou spoke of the issue of vulnerable groups, mentioning that the Ministry of Health issued on Saturday special instructions for residents of care homes for the elderly and the disabled.

“Thankfully in Cyprus, contrary to other countries, we have managed to a great extent to protect these vulnerable groups of the population. In Italy, Spain, France and the UK the virus has literally decimated care homes for the elderly. The large number of deaths by Covid-19 in these countries has been attributed to this failure,” Loizou said.

Asked whether additional measures should be taken following the two cases found at an elderly care home in Aradippou, Loizou said that homes for the elderly and disabled should strictly adhere to measures issued yesterday by the Ministry of Health for those establishments and that the management of such centres should aim to make use of the announced 20,000 tests scheme already underway to identify potential asymptomatic cases among their staff.

Asked if he believes it’s realistic to aim for testing the entire population of Cyprus for Covid-19, Dr Leontios Kostrikis said that theoretically that would be ideal but is not practically possible.

“So far we have conducted close to 18,000 tests, 20,000 tests are underway for workers and another 6,500 tests are underway for Okypy’s healthcare workers. In my humble opinion, these figures are sufficient to give us a clear image of the extent of contamination in Cyprus. Cyprus right now is among the top countries in Europe and in the world with the most tests conducted,” Kostrikis explained.

Read more:

Inside the Health Ministry’s Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (photos)

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