A 56 year-old man, with severe underlying health problems, who had tested positive with COVID-19 passed away in the early hours of Tuesday morning at Nicosia General Hospital ICU, with the disease not classified as his cause of death, authorities announced, adding that another four people have tested positive.
On the basis of the data so far, the number of confirmed cases in Cyprus has reached 878, including ten in the British Bases on the island.
Speaking during a press conference at the Ministry of Health, Dr Marios Loizou, Scientific Director at the Nicosia Directorate of the Cyprus State Health Services Organisation said that “we are announcing today the death of a patient who was hospitalized at the Nicosia General Hospital ICU and passed away at the early hours of this morning.”
The deceased was a man of 56 years of age, with a extremely serious medical history, he said, adding that “the final cause of death is not considered to be COVID-19.”
Therefore, he noted, the total number of patients who tested positive with the virus SARS-CoV-2 has reached 21, while the deaths attributed to COVID-19 are still 15, 11 men and 4 women of an average age of 73.
Announcing, the confirmed positive cases Dr. Leontios Kostrikis, member of the Scientific Committee on the pandemic said that according to the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health, from a total of 1,250 of laboratory tests, four people tested positive to SARS-CoV-2.
No people tested positive, out of 84 tests in the context of a mass testing of 20,000 professionals, 313 tests in the General Hospitals Microbiology Labs, 121 tests on people who returned from abroad and 27 tests on employees in the retail food and beverage sector and homes for the elderly.
Two people tested positive out of 179 tests completed in the context of a tracing of contacts procedure. Another two people tested positive out of 526 tests which were completed privately.
A total of 19,555 tests had been completed at 1600 hours today from a government funded mass testing of 20,000 diagnostic tests on professionals in the private and public sector which started on Saturday, April 11, Kostrikis said.
“The epidemiological picture continues to be encouraging. However, the new cases indicate that the virus is still within the community and that it is being transmitted,” he noted.
He appealed on everyone “to be particularly careful. We do not have the luxury of taking steps back, the effort must be continuous and by everyone.” A sentiment which was also echoed by Loizou who said that “it is our duty as a society to be constantly cautious and vigilant.”
Loizou also said that thirteen people were hospitalized at Famagusta General Hospital, operating as the COVID-19 reference hospital, two of whom in the Increased Care Unit.
Their state of health is stable, he said, adding that one person was released from hospital.
A total of four patients are breathing with the help of a ventilator, one in the Limassol General Hospital ICU and three in Nicosia General Hospital ICU. Another patient is in Nicosia General ICU but is breathing without the help of a ventilator.
The patients’ clinical state is described as “critical but stable.”
Another six people who have tested positive with COVID-19 are hospitalized in other hospitals, he said.
