State Health Services Organization (SHSO) said on Monday that since the pandemic broke out in Cyprus, it treated in its hospitals more than 6,000 COVID patients, 600 of whom in ICUs.

It said in an announcement that the mortality rate remains in low numbers, around 0.5% and Cyprus ranks, because of this, high in European level in the management of the crisis.

SHSO says that 2 years after the crisis there is much knowledge and experience, research material and protocols as to how to deal with the pandemic and in addition to this the vaccinations are now a useful tool in the hands of the organization in continuing to record positive results and keeping mortality low.

To this end the organization has a plan for the gradual developments of more than 300 beds in COVID wards in all the hospitals across the island and 65 ICUs. The plan provides for the continuous training of the health professionals and the cooperation with the private sector, the announcement concludes.