Filenews 8 January 2022 - by Marilena Panagi
Again at the Ministry of Health on Tuesday, the members of the Advisory Scientific Committee, while the Minister of Health and close associates, are expected to prepare their recommendations over the weekend and depending on the epidemiological data, without excluding the further tightening of the measures next week which, inevitably this time, will bring with it restrictions on the movement of citizens.
The members of the TEU yesterday officially received the invitation of the Minister of Health Michalis Hadjipantelas, who, if necessary, will go to the Council of Ministers the next day with proposals for new, stricter than those currently in force, measures. This time, everything will be judged by the situation in hospitals after the increase recorded in the previous days in the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients, combined with last week's data, has alarmed OCAs, scientists and the ministry of health.
The increase of coronavirus cases in our country is recorded by the National Report that was published and concerns the data until January 4th. This includes the large number of tests performed and has exceeded one million in the last two weeks, as well as the vaccination history of patients who have ended up. However, the rapid deterioration of the epidemiological picture in Cyprus in the last two weeks is also recorded in the national report on the pandemic, which was published yesterday by the Ministry of Health.
According to the national report, in the last 14 days, 28,414 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been recorded. The median age of the cases was 28 years (Intraquartile range: 21 - 41 years), 52.3% concerns women, 47.7% in men. Based on the epidemiological history, 3.6% were cases with a recent travel history, while 96.4% (26,848 people) were in cases of domestic transmission.
In addition and according to the national report, "by January 4th, 741 deaths of people diagnosed with COVID-19 had been reported to the Health Monitoring Unit of the Ministry of Health. 63.7% were men and the remaining 36.3% were women (n=269 deaths). Of the 741 deaths, 647 (87%) had COVID-19 as the ultimate cause.
Of the people who died due to the coronavirus, 396 had no history of vaccination while only 48 people were fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health yesterday held a race to distribute the new quantities of Self-test that had been ordered, namely the 310,000 tests, in private pharmacies to allow GHS beneficiaries to receive the packaging they are entitled to under last Wednesday's decisions.
As stated in her statements by the president of the Pancyprian Pharmaceutical Association, Eleni Piera-Isseyek, "the first packages that will be received, will be made available as a priority to the citizens who did not have time to get the first packaging they are entitled to and have the right until January 20 to do so", since the distribution of the packaging to the beneficiaries will then begin on a date to be announced by the Ministry of Health within the next few days. Regarding the availability of Self-tests for a fee by citizens, Ms Isseyek said that "the market has begun to be 'equipped' with Self-test for sale, but there is no specific price for each formulation, so it is up to each pharmacy to set the price, since there is no ceiling for their sale".
Keep pharmacies open
On whether there is a case for extending the opening hours of pharmacies, the president of the PSP said that "there is currently no plan for this and no pharmacies have been asked to remain open during the weekend, beyond the nights, when the need for tests is expected to be increased, in view of the reopening of schools on Monday". "During the holidays," as Ms Isseyek said, "in derogation from the law, some pharmacies remained open."
