Four patients are currently intubated with flu in intensive care units, while seasonal infections and covid are pushing hospitals to their limits, state health services organisation (Okypy) spokesman Charalambos Charilaou said on Tuesday.

Charilaou told the Cyprus News Agency that flu hit earlier than expected this year and that since December 15 there had been a significant increase of people going to casualty.

He said that over 200 people were visiting Nicosia general hospital emergency services every day and that flu-related admissions, as well as those for covid and other infections, had increased the occupancy of beds to over 90 per cent.

Charilaou added that among the four patients intubated was a 43-year-old with severe flu symptoms.