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Coronavirus: Get the jab, Ioannou urges young people as clusters emerge

Υπουργός Υγείας – Επίσκεψη σε Κέντ
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Outgoing Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou urged youths on Thursday to get the Covid vaccine, as health authorities said they have located two coronavirus clusters in the past couple of days, one involving 17 teenagers who had attended a high school graduation party.

The second cluster, involving six people so far, concerns a wedding party attended by around 350 people.

The health ministry said the first cluster concerned 17 pupils of a Nicosia lower secondary school (gymnasium) aged between 14 and 15.

It appears that one pupil, who had symptoms on the day, transmitted the virus to 16 others.

The pupil was a close contact of a previously confirmed case that had not been declared before that time.

The second cluster concerns six cases from the side of the bride. Authorities were waiting for the guest list in a bid to track down the so-called patient zero.

The clusters indicate that health protocols are not being followed, especially at social events, which are considered high-risk.

It has also transpired that people are not forthcoming as regards their contacts, making the problem worse.

The head of the contact tracing team, Valentinos Sylvestros, said the fact that people either refused or were late in declaring their close contacts would create a serious problem with the more infectious Delta variant of the virus.

Sylvestros said that youths especially, who were highly mobile with an intense social life, would not disclose their contacts or they were so many that they could not be traced.

“We might be several days late before a person self-isolates,” he told Alpha television.

Of the infections in the past 10 days, 16 per cent concerned people with one vaccine dose and five per cent people who were fully vaccinated.

The rest had not been vaccinated though 30 per cent of those were under the age of 18 who are not being vaccinated.

Cyprus has seen two days of infections exceeding 100, raising concern that the island was seeing the start of a fourth wave.

Ioannou appealed to everyone, especially youths, to get a vaccine “the only weapon we have to tackle the virus.”

The outgoing minister said hospitals were on alert to deal with an increased number of admissions, which in their overwhelming majority – over 90 per cent – concerned people who have not been vaccinated.

Ioannou, who had a first meeting today with his successor Michalis Hadjipantelas, said he was worried over the fact that there has been an increase in hospital admissions of younger people suffering with serious symptoms caused by the virus.

The medical association also made an appeal, expressing concern over the rise in infections, especially among those without vaccines.

“With this in mind, the spread of the aggressive (Delta) variant among younger ages must raise concern because this would apply fresh pressure on the health system,” the association said.

The association acknowledged the people’s fatigue but warned against complacency.

“The only way to prevent a fourth wave is vaccination and compliance with the simple measures of individual and collective protection.”

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