Filenews 8 December 2020
The findings resulting from the analysis of the data so far do not allow the measures to be relaxed from 14 December onwards, the Minister of Health, Konstantinos Ioannou, told the Cyprus News Agency, who, however, stressed that this is conditional on the Council of Ministers, which will study the data and reach the final decisions.
According to the Minister of Health, although a package of measures was announced for the period 14 December to 7 January 2021, in order to prepare citizens for the possible lifting of measures, they had made it a prerequisite for their implementation to slow the transmission of the virus and to restore the indicators to safe limits.
He stressed that "this does not seem to be achieved at this time", to note that "we are assessing and analysing the data and certainly the findings do not allow us to relax".
He also told the CYPE that last week was "the most epidemiologically aggravated" since the onset of the pandemic, to add that the concern is intense, since it is noted that despite the measures taken by the Government so far, the picture in Cyprus "has not improved to the extent we wanted".
Fifteen deaths, 2,200 cases and dozens of hospital admissions in 7 days
Asked how concerned he was that the past week was the worst epidemiologically in the number of cases and deaths, Mr Ioannou said that "last week was indeed the most epidemiologically burdened", noting that "over a seven-day period 2,200 cases were recorded, dozens of hospital admissions, but worst of all, 15 (until yesterday) of our fellow citizens ended up because of the virus".
"Certainly," he said, "the reflection is intense, since we note that despite the measures we have taken so far, the picture in our country has not improved to the extent we wanted."
In addition, he said that it is also a concern that the guidelines and protocols, which exist for various businesses and sectors of the economy and society, are in many cases not being implemented satisfactorily.
He made it clear that he does not in any way blame the citizens for the burden on the epidemiological picture, since, as he added, "the continuous effort over the last ten months has been painful".
At the moment no other solution, until vaccination
"I recognize that fatigue is too great for everyone, whether it's the citizens, whether it's the Government, whether it's the Advisory Scientific Committee, or the Officers in the various Departments working endless hours to manage the pandemic," he said.
However, he stressed that "there is no other solution at the moment", to add that "until a significant proportion of the population is vaccinated, which will largely help reduce epidemiological indicators, our only option is to apply the directives and self-protection measures as faithfully as possible".
Global lockdown is not excluded as an option
Asked if there was room for universal lockdown, the Minister of Health made it clear again that "it has always been the precaution of public health that guided our plans and the decisions we made", noting that without ignoring the economic costs, just as great and important he considers it to be the social and psychological costs that the pandemic has brought to the citizens.
He also said that "in the first outbreak of the pandemic, our knowledge of the pandemic was minimal and we needed time to properly organize and shield the Health System", adding that "that is why a lockdown was applied in Cyprus, which was certainly decisive in limiting the spread of the virus".
He also noted that in the second wave of the pandemic, the effort is focused on control of the deterioration of the situation, while maintaining at the same time the functioning of society and the economy.
"For now, we are the only state in the EU that has not reinstated total lockdown, but that does not mean that it has been ruled out as an option," the Health Minister stressed.
As he added"our effort is to endure as long as possible, without harsh restrictions and/or lockdown, until a large percentage of vaccination coverage is achieved".
Global lockdown if indicators derail
In response to another question about what number of daily cases constitutes the red line, for the implementation of the universal lockdown, Mr. Ioannou said that "the factors that assist in taking any decision are many", adding that "we not only decide according to the number of cases or the rate of positivity and the number of communicability, but we also see the number of nurses and admissions to the Intensive Care Units. , but also the number of deaths'.
"Therefore," he noted, "derailing all these indicators and keeping them high for a significant period of time will sound the alarm and lead us to stricter restrictions and possibly a global lockdown."
At the beginning of January it is estimated that the first batch of vaccines will be available
Asked when the first batch of vaccines is expected and when the first vaccinations will begin, the Minister of Health said that according to the information they receive from the European Commission, which has taken on a coordinating role on the issue of the supply of vaccines, the distribution of the first quantities of vaccines is expected to start simultaneously in all Member States around the end of December.
In relation to Cyprus, he said that "a realistic estimate is that we will receive the first batch in early January and immediately vaccinations will begin, according to the vaccination plan, which has been drawn up and the individual points are currently being finalised.
Referring to vaccinations, he said that "initially priority for vaccination will be given to health professionals and especially those working on the front line, in the reference hospital, in the COVID wards, in the Intensive Care Units, in the TDPs, and so on", and noted that "subsequently, on the basis of ecdc guidelines, as well as the results from the clinical studies for each vaccine, vulnerable groups of the population who have an increased risk of severe COVID disease" were identified.
He added that the aim is to cover the general population or the largest proportion of the population, in order to note that 'to this end the actions we have taken through the Commission have focused on the supply of a sufficient quantity for vaccination of the whole population'.
In the meantime, he said the vaccine is not mandatory, vaccinations will be carried out at the Vaccination Centres, it will be free and epidemiological surveillance of vaccination will be carried out by the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit in cooperation with the scientific committee.
No Agency has the power to contain the virus on its own
Asked if he would ask the Chief of Police to tighten the controls further, he said that "my communication with both the Minister of Justice and the Chief of Police, as well as with my other fellow Ministers, is frequent, with the aim of regularly reviewing the data from the checks carried out and discussing ways to strengthen them".
"Undoubtedly," he added, "there is always room for increased surveillance by all relevant agencies and not just by the Police. Of course, we should constantly bear in mind that the potential for human resources is not limitless."
He also said that "we do not want to cultivate a sense of punishment among citizens if they do not implement the measures", to note that "we are not a police state, to appoint a police officer next to each citizen, so that each of us is forced to abide by the measures".
He concluded that "we all need to be responsible and know that our behaviour has an impact on the whole, on Public Health, on our parents, on our grandparents and on ourselves" to add that "otherwise, no Agency has the power to contain the virus on its own."
Source: eyenews/KYPE
