The number of coronavirus cases and deaths continues to increase rapidly in the UK 75 UK Cypriots have died this week due to the coronavirus.

In London, 70 community members succumbed to the coronavirus in the last week. 30 Greek Cypriots and 40 Turkish Cypriots. Outside London there were five Greek Cypriots one each from Leeds, Cheltenham, Coventry, Leicester and Mansfield.

To date, we estimate 480 UK Cypriots (Greek, Turkish and Maronite) in total have died from Coronavirus. The figure includes 437 in London and 43 outside London. Parikiaki’s figures  are arrived after contacting local hospitals, Churches and Turkish Cypriot media and community, funeral directors and death announcements that have come to our newspaper

The total fatalities now include 253 UK Greek Cypriots, 183 UK Turkish Cypriots and one UK Maronite Cypriot, all from London. Included are six cases of married couples, two cases of two brothers and two cases of fathers and sons.

Outside London, there were eleven UK Greek Cypriots and one UK Turkish Cypriot from Birmingham, three UK Greek Cypriots from Weston-super-Mare, who were all from the same family, one from Derby, one from Lowestoft, one from Cambridge, two from Cheltenham, four UK Greek Cypriots and one UK Maronite from Liverpool , one UK Greek Cypriot from Luton, one from Southend, one from Glasgow, one from Newport, two from Leeds, one from Hemel Hempstead, one from Manchester one from Middlesborough, one from Margate and one from Wakefield one from Leicester, one from Mansfield and one from Coventry. Four UK Turkish Cypriots, one each from Colchester, Maidstone, two Northampton and Suffolk, passed away, bringing the total number of UK Cypriot deaths outside London to 43.

Britain’s minister in charge of COVID-19 vaccinations said once everyone in the top priority groups had been reached, he favoured moving onto groups such as teachers and the police rather than bringing forward second doses.

Nadhim Zahawi said a decision had not yet been made on how to prioritise the use of available doses once the priority groups, such as elderly and clinically vulnerable people, had received an initial dose. He added that his comment reflected only his personal view.

“My own personal view is you want to protect as many people as quickly as possible so you want to get through the nine categories and then move towards teachers … police officers, shop workers,” he told lawmakers on Wednesday.