Coronavirus: Spike in cases keeps Cyprus in dark red

A red spectre has washed over the EU as the bloc of 27 nations and its regions remains overwhelmingly in the ECDC’s dark red status, including Cyprus.

The data compiled by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control focuses solely on the cumulative diagnosis rate for Covid-19 infections over the past two weeks.

Indeed, to be classified as ‘dark red’ – which includes Cyprus – the notification rate must rise above 500 per 100,000 population during the 14-day cumulative period.

Red zone areas are defined as the areas where the 14-day cumulative notification rate ranges from 75 to 200 and the test positivity rate is four per cent or more, or the 14-day notification rate is more than 200 but less than 500 (when the cumulative rate exceeds 500 the area enters the “deep red” zone).

Notably, however, Cyprus also ranks amongst the highest in the bloc regarding tests carried out per 100,000 people. Cyprus is accorded the dark green status as it carries out over 5,000 tests per 100,000.

As for positivity rates, Cyprus is one of the select few in the green category – along with most of Greece and one region in central Europe – as it records below one per cent.

The data compiled by the ECDC is valid as of December 9.

The situation in the countries that were in the dark red category last week remains unchanged: that is in Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the Republic of Ireland, Iceland, Denmark and most of Germany (some north-western areas are in the red category).