Coronavirus: two new cases announced on Friday (Updated)

Two new coronavirus cases were reported by the health ministry on Friday, bringing the total to 891.

Virologist Leontios Kostrikis said one of the cases was found through contact tracing, while the second was found from tests conducted on a private initiative.

A total of 1,957 tests were processed on Friday, 153 from contact tracing, 224 from people returning from abroad, 416 conducted on private initiative, ten on vulnerable groups being tested by the ministry, and 668 on 2,000 workers in the food and beverage sector.

Kostrikis said: “As you can see, the low numbers of new cases fills us with optimism for the future.”

He added it was the end of the first week of phase one on lifting movement restrictions, and the numbers were encouraging, but the epidemiological team remained reserved.

According to scientific director of the state health services (Okypy), Dr Marios Loizou as of 3pm, nine patients were being treated in Famagusta General for the virus, one of whom was in the advanced care unit.

Loizou said another five individuals were intubated, one in Limassol General’s intensive care unit, and four in Nicosia General’s unit.

“The clinical status of all in the patients in intensive care is critical but stable,” he said.

Another five cases are being treated in other hospitals, Loizou added.

Commenting on the status of virus in Cyprus, Loizou said the lessons learned will need to be used for the future.

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.