in-cyprus 30 May 2020 -Bouli Hadjioannou
Sporadic COVID-19 infections should become part of our new normality and should not be a concern until they are reduced to zero for ever, Petros Karayiannis, a molecular virology professor and member of the Scientific Group advising the Cyprus government on COVID-19 told CNA.
Cyprus recorded its first Covid-19 infections on March 9 2020 but has been test have been continuously returning infections in single digits since late-April, enabling the authorities to proceed with gradual relaxation of lockdown measures.
Asked by CNA on the new infection in a primary school pupil, Karayiannis said that these things happen, adding that “we should learn to respond immediately by isolating the infections, decontaminating the premises and live our lives normally.”
“This is our new normality,” Karayiannis added.
As schools reopened on May 21 the Health Ministry launched a programme of 20,000 tests in pupils and school employees in a bid to ascertain the monitor infections in education. So far minimum infections have been recorded.
Responding to a question Karayiannis said he is not worried by the new infection.
“If distancing measures are observed in schools the transmission risk is limited. As decontaminations have been carried out on the premises and the infected person’s close contacts are placed in isolation there will be no problem,” he concluded.
(CNA)
