‘Notable surge’ in Covid cases among elderly in past week

There has been “a notable surge” in coronavirus cases in Cyprus over the past week, hospitals operator Okypy spokesperson Charalambos Charilaou said on Thursday.

Speaking to state broadcaster CyBC, he said that 56 patients, primarily elderly individuals, were currently under care in state facilities.

Charilaou also added that five patients were on ventilators in the intensive care unit, with another five in the increased care unit.

He then said that the most concerning situation concerns Nicosia, where most hospital admissions involved elderly individuals from nursing homes.

“The majority of cases involve individuals over the age of 80 who have not received their booster dose,” Charilaou explained.

He finally said that visits to nursing homes should be accompanied by a PCR test taken within 72 hours, adding that the use of protective face masks is compulsory.