Minister links hospitalization spike to carnival

Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou says a jump in hospitalizations involving intensive care treatment for COVID-19 was the result of carnival celebrations some ten days ago.

According to Ioannou, who spoke on state radio Wednesday morning, new hospitalizations on the rise were primarily involving cases in Limassol district.

The minister said a very high number of tests last week gave officials the expectation that cases would be reduced.

“But that was not the case,” Ioannou said.

The minister went on to say that the majority of hospitalizations were originating from Limassol district, as a result of carnival-related violations in the southern town earlier this month.

In mid-March, officials and health experts were furious over a holiday weekend after carnival lovers in Limassol defied pandemic restrictions and gathered downtown for public celebration, with police onsite choosing not to confront the situation.

Experts had warned at the time that hospitalizations could rise in Limassol in the following week as more cases would have been attributed to infections perpetrated by pandemic rule flouters.