Cyprus Mail 20 November 2020 - by Gina Agapiou
The spread of Covid-19 in care homes is alarming, state health services organisation Okypy said on Friday.
Approximately 25 per cent of the patients treated in Famagusta reference hospital for coronavirus are elderly residents of care homes, the organisation said.
“There is a rapid spread of the virus in these homes and we are very concerned,” Okypy’s spokepersons Charalambos Charilaou told the Cyprus News Agency on Friday.
“That’s why Okypy, although it is not within its responsibilities, has immediately sent a medical team with nurses to clinically examine those patients, assess the situation and give instructions to separate the positive cases,” Charilaou said.
Earlier this month, Sokratio care home in Episkopi, Limassol recorded more than 35 coronavirus cases and four residents have since died with coronavirus.
Timotheo, another nursing home in Latsia, Nicosia has recorded ten coronavirus cases. Three of those patients were expected to be moved to Eden rehabilitation centre in Tersefanou on Thursday.
“The owner refused to hand them over, saying that all positive cases must leave,” Charilaou said.
The owner of Timotheo care home reportedly initially told the relatives of the positive cases on Friday to come and pick them up, adding that the home simply does not have the staff to assist Covid-19 patients.
Okypy, meanwhile, said it is not the responsibility of state hospitals to take care of elderly coronavirus patients who do not require hospitalisation.
“Hospital wards for Covid are intended for those who need them, that is, they have symptoms that need medical treatment and inpatient care,” Charilaou said.
But later on Friday, the health ministry gave instructions that seven of the elderly patients were to be moved to Nicosia general hospital, while the three, who can assist themselves, will be moved to Eden.
Coronavirus cases have also been recorded in day care centres for the elderly.
Reports said that a worker at Theotokos foundation in Limassol, a day care centre that assists elderly patients and people with disabilities, tested positive for coronavirus on Friday.
A day care centre in Kyperounta has record 33 coronavirus cases to date, one of which is being treated in the Famagusta referral hospital.
To prevent the spread of the virus in care homes, the health ministry issued a decree banning all visitations and saying it will provide rapid tests for the workers and residents of those establishments.
