Cyprus Mail 23 April 2020 - by George Psyllides
Barring any unpleasant surprises, experts expect the coronavirus curve to hit the bottom in the first week of May, virologist Leontios Kostrikis, a member of the health ministry’s epidemiological team, said on Thursday.
Kostrikis told the state broadcaster that figures in the past couple of weeks showed an “encouraging picture” although efforts to contain the virus have not ended.
If there are no unpleasant surprises, experts expected the curve to reach its end next month.
“Expecting curve to reach the end maybe in the first week of May,” Kostrikis said.
He struck a note of caution, however, ahead of plans to reopen the economy, starting with construction sites.
Kostrikis said the sector employs a lot of foreign nationals and health authorities needed to have a picture of the situation among these groups.
His concerns, he said, stemmed from a recent case where a couple of dozen workers at a bakery were all infected because they all lived in the same building.
Kostrikis said testing will continue and will include the new groups of people who will go to work as the economy reopens.
The strategy for the gradual lifting of restrictions and reopening the economy will be discussed by the cabinet on April 29 but everything would depend on the epidemiological data and the recommendations of the experts.
