Cyprus records first coronavirus death

A British elderly patient, who was infected with the coronavirus during his hospitalization in Paphos, died in Famagusta on Saturday night, marking the island's first pandemic death.

This was the first coronavirus-related death ever recorded in Cyprus, while reports said the 70-year-old foreign national was facing other serious medical problems before being transferred to Famagusta General Hospital.

Reports said the elderly patient was receiving treatment at Paphos General Hospital, where doctors said he was suffering from an alcohol-related liver disease. The patient also had developed chronic problems with his kidneys and had congestive heart failure, according to local media.

While receiving treatment at Paphos General, the patient tested positive for the coronavirus after health officials mounted a campaign to trace and track down doctors, nurses, and others who had come in contact with a known confirmed case in that same ward. Several medics were later found positive.

Reports said the patient was not responding to treatment and had been transferred to Famagusta hospital, a coronavirus-designated facility, where he passed away on Saturday night.