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Authorities confirmed 58 new cases of coronavirus

02/04/2020 10:08

Cyprus authorities announced on Wednesday one more death due to coronavirus, while another 58 persons were tested positive to COVID-19.

The death toll in the Republic of Cyprus rose to 9 and the total number of confirmed cases reached 320, including 10 cases in the British Bases.

Dr. Marios Loizou, Scientific Director at the Nicosia Directorate of the Cyprus State Health Services Organisation said during a press conference that the deceased was a 66 year old man with underlying health conditions. A total of 8 men and one woman lost their lives due to the pandemic with an age average of 68. Seven of them had some kind of aggravating health factors.

Dr. Leontios Kostrikis, member of the Advisory Body on the pandemic, told during the same press conference at the Ministry of Health that we need to avoid the mistakes others made, if we want to avoid a desperate situation similar to that in Italy and elsewhere. He also said that the situation globally is terrifying right now and underlined the importance of taking the appropriate measures at the right moment.

Dr. Loizou said that according to the data available until 3pm (local time), 32 people were hospitalized at Famagusta General Hospital, which is also the reference hospital. Four of them were treated at the Intensive Care Unit and one person was discharged.

Eleven people remained intubated, four of them at the ICU of Limassol General Hospital and seven at the ICU in Nicosia. The condition of those patients remained stable but critical.

Moreover, three confirmed cases are hospitalized in Nicosia and six in Limassol. One woman, tested positive to COVID-19, gave birth on Tuesday and remains with her newborn at Makario Children`s Hospital, in Nicosia. Both are in excellent condition and are treated in specially arranged isolated chambers at the maternity ward, he added.

He also said that one patient who was admitted yesterday, died at the reference hospital but according to the doctors, this death can not be attributed to COVID-19 but to the patient’s underlying health conditions.

Loizou said that COVID-19 cases worldwide are close to 900,000 and 45,000 people have lost their lives due to the virus. He noted that the death toll is rising on a daily basis, and this is something that reminds us that the virus is a deadly one.

He also wondered where these numbers would stand today if most countries, including Cyprus, hadn’t taken timely measures. In places where measures where strictly implemented and societies accepted the necessity for those measures, results are much better, he added. He also said that delaying the spread of the virus is crucial and a defining factor that affords health systems with the necessary time to adjust and prepare.

Dr. Loizou also mentioned today’s anniversary of the EOKA liberation struggle against the British Colonial rule and said that while honoring the heroes of 1955-59 “we turn our thoughts and gaze upon the heroes of 2020 with respect.” He mentioned in particular hospital personnel that remains in the front line, the doctors, nurses and physiotherapists who are doing their best every day, while being aware of the danger for themselves.

Dr. Leontios Kostrikis announced the number of new confirmed cases, saying that 58 people were tested positive to COVID-19 after conducting 779 laboratory tests. 24 of them were traced among the contacts of other confirmed cases, two are from the British Bases, while the medical record of 32 is being investigated.

With today’s results, the total number of positive cases rose to 320, including 10 cases in the British Bases.

Moreover, he said that it was established that in 14 out of 15 cases announced on Tuesday to be under investigation, there was a link to confirmed cases. The medical record of one case is still being investigated.

The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, the Microbiological Department of Nicosia General Hospital and private laboratories conducted in total 8,176 tests, Dr. Kostrikis said.

Out of the 320 confirmed cases, 181 were contacts, while 24 people diagnosed with COVID-19 have been cured.

“The increased number of confirmed cases mirrors our behavior during the last few days. Apparently, we have not implemented all restrictive measures, and this contributed to the spread of the virus in the community” Dr. Kostrikis underlined. This is the reason why the advisory board suggested taking stricter measures, he added.

If we don’t realize that a deadly virus is out there, we will not make it, he went on and said that the worst-case scenario will be very difficult to manage. The situation in Cyprus is currently under control, but if we don’t pay attention, we may end up in an irreversible situation, he concluded.