CORONAVIRUS - 'NO NEW MEASURES NEEDED'

 Cyprus Mail  20 August 2020 - by Staff Reporter

Any decision on new measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak will be taken by the Council of Ministers on Friday, amid indications that the epidemiological situation has stabilised and does not require additional restrictions, the Cyprus News Agency reported on Wednesday.

Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou and the scientific advisory team for the coronavirus reviewed the state of play as regards the Covid-19 outbreak during a teleconference on Wednesday. No final decisions were taken, and the issue will next be discussed by the Council of Ministers when it meets under President Nicos Anastasiades at the presidential summer residence in Troodos on Friday.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, government adviser and Professor of microbiology and molecular virology at the University of Nicosia Medical School, Dr Petros Karayiannis said he did not think the spike in cases on Wednesday would affect the decisions the cabinet would take on Friday as most of the cases came from abroad.

“Tomorrow they [the cases] could be less, maybe seven or eight,” he said.

Karayiannis added the fluctuation in numbers is expected and will continue in this manner, as contact tracing continues.

Earlier, CNA reported the health minister will study the proposals of the team of scientists and then brief the Cabinet. The same sources said that provided there is compliance with the current measures, no new steps will be needed for the time being.

“The situation has stabilised. We are improving and if there is no negative repercussion from the August 15 break then we are on the right path. Therefore, by implementing the measures we are protecting ourselves against the virus so that we can start the autumn months in the most auspicious way,” the news agency’s source said.

“This is when people will be returning to work, we will be indoors, and we will need to be particularly careful who we come into contact with and what precautions we take. Precautions are essential. They must become a way of life until the vaccines come to Cyprus,” the same source added.

Any possible impact from the August 15 summer break will emerge by the end of this week, the beginning of the next. Given that there are positive ‘orphan’ cases where the origin of the infection is unknown, it is clear that the virus is in the community, the source said.

“Those who test positive do not know or do not remember with who they came into contact. This situation must end and the only way this will happen is by social distancing and avoiding crowds. Let’s be patient,” the source added.

Asked about asymptomatic carriers, the source acknowledged that people who have no symptoms are currently the main problem, as there are more of them than when the outbreak first started.

A recent surge of cases had sounded the alarm and prompted authorities to introduce compulsory use of masks in shops and to carry out more random tests to assess contagion in the community. Initial results from a planned programme of 10,000 tests do not indicate geographical concentrations but a better picture will emerge once the programme is finished.

Media reports have suggested that the government was considering additional measures so as to keep a lid on new cases. There has been speculation that it may expand the use of masks, restrict the size of gatherings and require entertainment spots to close at 1am. The latter has sparked a furious reaction from the sector that such a move would push them into bankruptcy.

As regards weddings and christenings, indications are that the current ceiling of 350 will remain in force while the number of people allowed at catering establishments is expected to remain at the current maximum of 150 inside and 250 outside.