First H1N1 death confirmed in north

MEDICAL officials in the north yesterday confirmed the first death from the H1N1 virus.

The unnamed victim, who is said to have already been suffering from a “chronic lung condition and diabetes,” had been receiving treatment at the north’s hospital since November 4.

“After catching the H1N1 virus the patient developed pneumonia,” an official said yesterday.

The north’s authorities insist they have taken all necessary precautions against the virus. This week, H1N1 5,000 vaccinations arrived in the north and have begun being distributed those believed to be most at risk.

More vaccinations are apparently available from Turkey if the Turkish Cypriot authorities request them. A large number of schools have also been closed and public buildings disinfected.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.