Coronavirus: Ministry again defends tests as one fifth of people undergo one

One fifth of the population aged over 12 — or 273,000 people – took a rapid antigen test from March 1 to 5 as authorities try to stay on top of the coronavirus outbreak while gradually easing the lockdown, the health ministry said on Monday.

The ministry has made weekly rapid tests compulsory for children in high school and for sectors of the workforce, prompting protests from some parents and grumbles on social media questioning the value of testing so many people, objections the ministy says run against the advice of the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC).

In a written statement on Monday, the health ministry stressed that it was through targeted tests, vaccinations and adherence to health protocols that Cyprus can aim for a safe exit from the lockdown.

It said that its strategy was from the beginning based on the guidelines of the ECDC which has advised mass tests to monitor the epidemiological situation in the community in view particularly of the acute concern regarding new variants of the virus.

The ministry said Cyprus’ policy had won praise from the ECDC, while other countries in Europe such as Germany and the UK were adopting the same policy in recognition of the importance of tests in tackling the pandemic.

From March 1- 5, a total of 273,313 rapid antigen tests were carried out through the health ministry’s programme, representing 20 per cent of the population over 12. In the three days of March 5 – 7, 142,217 tests were carried out.

But it noted that tests were an additional tool and not a panacea to manage the pandemic. “A negative test result does not replace the responsibility to comply with social distancing, use of the mask and personal hygiene. Within the same framework, people who have symptoms should contact their personal doctor immediately to avoid a deterioration in their health and to avert hospitalisations,” it said.

In combination with vaccination coverage, monitoring implementation of the measures and awareness by society as a whole, the policy of tests contributes to the safe and effective exit of the country from the health crisis and the return to normality, the ministry added.