One more death was reported in Cyprus due to COVID-19 with authorities also announcing that 29 people tested positive on Monday.
The 79-year-old man who passed away had serious health issues, authorities added.
Dr. Leontios Kostrikis, member of the Advisory Body on the pandemic, said that 19 of the cases were identified through tracing contacts of people already diagnosed. Some 418 tests were carried out. A health professional and a patient at Larnaca General hospital are among the cases announced.
Ten more people were detected from 473 tests and are part of the tests for the 20 thousand professionals which the government ordered to see the extent of the virus’ spread.
From the 29 new cases, 12 are from the same working area.
Based on today’s information, the total number of confirmed cases is 662, including the ten located in the British Bases.
Kostrikis said the confirmed cases are from professionals who continue to work. We want to restrict the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure, to the extent possible, that working areas are free from the virus, especially in areas which are open to the public. Dr. Kostrikis said that there is no method to guarantee the complete sterilisation of the area and that wherever a case is detected, especially in public area sites, those should be sterilised, the positive cases removed and tracing to begin.
“The scientific team urges you to always thin that the virus is everywhere and may contract you. Even at home. Please be especially careful”, he said.
Dr Marios Loizou, Scientific Director at the Nicosia Directorate of the Cyprus State Health Services Organisation announcing the death of the 79-year-old patient who died of COVID-19, said the deaths from COVID-19 are 12, with eight men and four women and a median age of 69.
Based on the information from Famagusta General hospital which serves as the Referral hospital, 23 people are treated there, two of which are in the Special Care Unit. Three were discharged. There are nine patients on ventilators, two in the Limassol General Hospital ICU and seven in Nicosia General hospital ICU as well as four more patients there who are not on a respirator.
They are all critical yet stable, said Dr. Loizou. Three more confirmed cases are in the hospitals.
Dr. Loizou praised all those who are donating to the workers in the frontline equipment but also food, noting that their symbolic gestures raise the workers’ moral and makes everything feel that it is worth it.
He reminded that as we are in the Holy Week, all movement except those allowed through the system, are prohibited. He also appealed to the owners of supermarkets, meat and fruit markets to comply with the government measures and to urge people to keep their distance. He also reminded that visits are prohibited. “If we want to be together next Easter, then this Easter we must remain alone”, he added.
