Number of new Covid cases way above acceptable levels

The number of new coronavirus cases being detected on a daily basis has gone way above the acceptable epidemiological levels set by the coronavirus task force, a member of the team Constantinos Tsioutis said Tuesday, noting that the figure recorded on Monday was the second highest in Cyprus since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, Tsioutis reiterated that the pandemic is not something that we will soon rid ourselves of. On the contrary, he said “we’ll spend the whole of 2020 and possibly 2021 in a similar situation.”

Rising numbers of new cases led the health ministry to match the stricter measures previously imposed on Larnaca and Famagusta to Nicosia and Limassol, with all cities but Paphos now facing certain restrictions in view of slowing down the transmission of the virus.

With several of the chains of infection that have formed recently linked to workplaces where guidelines appear to have been flouted, Tsioutis issued a desperate call to employers to ensure that their employees are protected.

Tsioutis said the government’s health advisory committee is planning on drawing up some guidelines for businesses, food and drink spots, and even public services, in order to ensure that they remain in business but also limit the chances of coronavirus transmission.

“Such suggestions,” Tsioutis said, “could be the grouping of staff, and working from home, wherever this can be achieved.”

But overall, Tsioutis said that a potential second total lockdown is currently a distant scenario, particularly due to the economic and psychological consequences of such a move. “What we will likely see is increasingly stricter measures,” he said.