There has been a spike in the number of cases in Covid-19 state hospital wards all over Cyprus, state health services (Okypy) spokesman Charalambos Charilaou said on Friday.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, Charilaou said that the current situation in state hospital is at a critical stage.

He added that earlier this week the number of patients treated in state hospitals numbered around 170. However, on Thursday there were as many as 190 people requiring hospitalisation after contracting the virus.

Charilaou said he hoped the increase in the number of hospitalisations is temporary and that there will be a reduction in serious cases in the upcoming days.

“The situation right now is very fragile and we need to be alert and ready to respond in case of need.

“However, I want to assure everyone that, should the situation deteriorate further, we will have more hospital beds available,” he said.

Furthermore, Charilaou said there are currently 13 coronavirus patients being treated at the Paphos general hospital, of which two are in the high dependency unit

He also added that the average age of Covid-19 cases has dropped from 70 to 60, which is the reason behind the increase of younger people needing hospitalisation in state hospitals.

Finally, Charilaou urged his Okypy colleagues to get vaccinated.

“Although vaccines are not mandatory, we have a very high responsibility towards our patients and towards society in general.

“Also, I want to call on everyone to strictly follow the measures in place against the spread of the virus.

“I know we are all tired of this situation but all improvements in our country depend on us. We must follow all measures and reduce our contacts with other people as much as possible,” he concluded.