Cyprus Covid-19 Update - 291 Hospitalised, 71 Serious
April 22, 2021Cyprus Covid-19 update for April 22, 2021.
No new deaths were announced yesterday but there are 291 Covid-19 patients and 71 of them are in serious condition, said the health ministry.
Given that the public health sector has a limited number of intensive care beds available, the number of coronavirus patients looks set to overwhelm the system. To remedy the bed shortage, the public sector sends patients to the private sector hospitals.
The daily COVID cases remain high. Yesterday, the health ministry announced another 843 cases, meaning there are now 58,865 cases in total since the beginning of the pandemic.
New Cyprus Covid-19 lockdown?
Following the record high cases this week, the Council of Ministers are meeting tomorrow to discuss possible new measures, including a hard lockdown.
The weaknesses in the Cyprus case are the relatively low rate of recoveries from Covid-19 and the number of active infectious people. The active cases are in the region of 20,000 people, according to Worldometer.
The other frightening statistic is the rising number of Covid-19 deaths which currently stand at 295 people. On average, that amounts to one COVID death every other day.
Cyprus coronavirus cases still rising
So far, the record high for new cases was on April 20th when there were 941 positive tests, said the health ministry. The previous high was 907 cases recorded on December 29, 2020.
There are multiple reasons for the sharp rise in new cases. A few reasons are below:
- More travelers coming and going from Cyprus.
- New COVID-19 variants, some of which can escape immunity.
- Schools are open.
- More public gatherings in churches and outdoor venues.
- Less vigilance amongst the public.
- The highly contagious nature of COVID-19.
Projected number of COVID deaths
If the current trend continues and there is universal mask wearing, there may be 349 COVID deaths by August 21, according to Worldometer. In the worst case scenario, this number could rise to 368 deaths.
There is a three-week lag between the number of new cases and the resulting death rate, according to the statistics.
Hygiene and safety precautions
Using masks reduces the infection rate by 30 percent. As the economy is gradually re-opened, it is even more important to follow safety precautions.
These include rapid tests once per week, frequently washing or disinfecting the hands and maintaining social distancing.
