Cyprus frets over virus spreading at parties

Cyprus has is the recent period been getting a taste of phenomena that were observed in countries abroad involving an uncontrolled spread of coronavirus at parties and other such social gatherings.

The health ministry announced on Thursday that it was strongly concerned about the surge in the number of new positive cases involving younger groups aged up to 45 years old who contracted the virus after attending parties or other similar social gatherings.

It referred to four characteristic coronavirus cases, which attended both a pool party and another party and came into contact with over 40 people, while eight more cases were detected after a hens party in Protaras, most of which are asymptomatic.

The ministry noted that those clusters, in addition to other smaller chains of infection among younger and for the most part asymptomatic people, make the risks of transmission, particularly to older or more vulnerable groups, all the more serious.

The health ministry re-issued its call to the public to show extra caution, particularly during the holiday period, as the development of additional such chains of infection may allow the spread of the virus to get out of control.

“We’re in a marathon and the finishing line is still a long way ahead. Measures of personal protection and social distancing are for the time being our only shield of protection in the difficult battle against the invisible enemy,” the ministry announcement stressed.