Five people have tested positive for Coronavirus after 2062 diagnostic tests the Health Ministry said on Wednesday. This brings the total number to 883 (including 10 in the British Bases). Dr. Marios Loizou said that the team of experts is “particularly happy” with the small number of new cases and the continuous reduction in the number of patients in ICUs. “The improvement of the weather combined with the developments in the drug and vaccines sector allow for additional optimism. The opening of society and the relaunch of economic activity pleases us, but we should not forget that human life remains our foremost priority. Our ability to move on to the next phase depends on the strict adherence to the announced measures,” Loizou said.
According to the latest infographics published by the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health, as of May 3 331 patients (38% of the total) who were infected with Coronavirus have recovered. The new set of data also reveals that 3.7% of the people infected were admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and that 7,322 Covid tests have been conducted per 100,000 people. In addition, 69% of those affected were between the age of 18 and 59, and of the 604 locally acquired cases, most come from the Paphos District (125) followed by Larnaca District (108).
Cyprus has the third-lowest number of Coronavirus cases in Europe, according to a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) update on Tuesday. According to ECDC’s latest tally, a total of 1,174,446 cases and 137,761 deaths have been reported in the EU/EEA and the UK as of May 5. The ranking of positive cases is led by Spain with 218,011 followed by Italy (211,938), the United Kingdom (190,584), Germany (163,860) and France (131,863). The lowest number of cases was recorded in Liechtenstein (83) followed by Malta (480), Cyprus (874), Latvia (896) and Slovakia (1,413). As of May 5, 137,761 deaths have been reported in the EU/EEA and the UK, led by Italy with 29,079 followed by the United Kingdom (28,734), Spain (25,428), France (25,201) and Belgium (7,924). The fewest deaths were recorded in Liechtenstein (1), Malta (4), Iceland (10), Latvia (16) and Cyprus (20).
Cyprus plans the return of children to school following the decision of a cabinet meeting held at the Presidential palace today. Following the meeting, Education Minister, Prodromos Prodromou announced that schools, nurseries and private teaching institutes will reopen for all pupils on May 21 at the start of Phase Two of the easing of lockdown measures. Prodromou said that classes will be held on a rotating basis, with pupils divided into two groups. Group One will attend class on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, then they will be replaced by Group Two on Thursday and Friday. Group Two will continue classes on Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday and Group One will take over on Thursday-Friday to continue on the three first days of the following week and so on. Prodromou also said 20,000 Covid-19 tests will be made available for pupils and teachers.
Coronavirus tests for 6,000 workers in construction sites which resumed operation on Monday has started, the Health Ministry has said. The tests come the framework of the first phase of the strategy for the gradual lifting of restrictive measures, as well as the wider policy of mass testing of the general population implemented by the Government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For sampling purposes, instructions were given and a list was compiled by the Department of Labour of the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance, taking into account the size and number of employees in each construction site. A total of 6,000 people will be sampled on a nationwide basis.
The Covid-19 crisis could end in Cyprus by May 25, the Singapore University of Technology data-driven innovation lab said, using data-driven predictions. The lab has predicted when it will end in various countries around the world. For Cyprus, the lab offers three alternative dates for the end of Covid-19 as of April 26. On April 29, Covid-19 would end by 97 per cent, the lab said, by 99 per cent on May 8, and 100 per cent by May 25. The lab warned that readers must take any prediction, regardless of the model and data, with caution.
Cyprus` economic growth is headed for a large drop in 2020 of -7.4%, public finances are set to deteriorate with a -7.0% deficit, inflation is set to remain subdued, domestic demand is expected to fall moderately and exports of services will plummet in 2020, according to the European Commission Spring Economic Forecast for Cyprus, published today in Brussels by DGECFIN and presented by Commissioner Gentiloni to the Press. According to the forecast, Cyprus is set for a -7,4% contraction of the GDP in 2020, followed by 6.1% growth in 2021. The deficit will increase to -7.0% in 2020 and -1.8% in 2021. Debt to GDP ratio will increase to 115.7% and 105.0% respectively in the two years, inflation at -0.2% and 1.0% and unemployment at 8.6% and 7.5% for 2020 and 2021.
