COVID-19 cases on the rise: 14 new cases in Republic, nine in north

Cyprus on Thursday saw 14 new coronavirus cases in the Republic and nine additional cases confirmed in the north, raising the total to 146 and 56 respectively.

Among the 14 cases that were confirmed by the Health Ministry on Thursday, were four people who had recently returned from abroad, effectively ‘importing’ the virus; eight people who had been tested after contact tracing efforts; a pediatrician at the Paphos General Hospital; and one person whose recent history is under investigation to ascertain how they were infected.

According to Dr Joseph Moutiris, who has temporarily taken over as Director of the Paphos General Hospital, the pediatrician must have caught the virus after coming into contact with doctors who on their part had close contact with patients who had carried coronavirus.

Though the Paphos General Hospital has seen the majority of cases to be confirmed under one roof, Moutiris said that the Hospital had not seen any new cases in recent days due to the stricter measures that were enforced, with Thursday's confirmed case breaking the positive streak.

The new cases brought the total confirmed coronavirus cases in the Republic of Cyprus to 146, including the three cases confirmed in the British Bases, while 76 of these cases constituted contacts of other known carriers of the virus.

According to the Health Ministry’s daily briefing on Thursday, increasing numbers of people who had tested positive for coronavirus are being cured.

Speaking at the daily briefing, scientific director of the Nicosia division of the State Health Services Organization, Dr Marios Loizou, said that by 3pm on Thursday, 23 confirmed cases were being treated in hospitals islandwide.

The north also confirmed nine new coronavirus cases on Thursday, raising the total cases to 56.

According to Turkish Cypriot media, the health of two German tourists who had tested positive for the virus had deteriorated, with the pair being transferred to a hospital in north Nicosia where they were hooked up to ventilators.