Updates from Cyprus
Chairman of the Cyprus National Addictions Authority Dr. Christos Minas told a press conference on Friday that the use of all illicit substances showed a decrease during lockdown but noted that after the lockdown was lifted there was an increase in their use.
Speaking at the presentation of the Authority`s 2020 official review and on the occasion of the international day against drugs on June 26th, Dr.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
Authorities in Cyprus reported no new deaths but 169 new COVID-19 cases out of 42,660 tests carried out on Friday. The positivity rate stands at 0.40%. At the same time 41 patients with COVID-19 are being treated in hospital, 17 of whom in serious condition.
The number of deaths attributed to the disease remains 378, while the number of cases since the outbreak of the pandemic has reached 74,343, the Ministry of Health said in a press release.
In total, 41 patients with the disease are being treated in state hospitals, 17 of whom in a serious condition; nine are intubated, two are in an ICU but are breathing without the help of a ventilator and another six are in an ACU.
Out of 42,660 tests carried out on Friday, 5,222 by PCR method and 37,438 by antigen rapid test method, 169 new cases were detected as follows:
Source: Cyprus News Agency
The Ministry of Health of Cyprus issued a press release on Friday in which it notes that the increase in coronavirus cases especially among younger people in recent days is of great concern.
The Ministry says that in many cases, people who test positive for the virus do not cooperate with the contact tracing team, hiding their close contacts or giving information that is not complete.
It adds that based on the contact tracing of confirmed cases, only 7% of cases have full vaccination coverage, while about 45% of cases are people aged 18-39 years.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
The number of cases will continue in the three digits in the next days while hospitalisations will increase, Dr. Petros Karayiannis, Professor of Microbiology/Molecular Virology at the University of Nicosia Medical School told CNA.
He also said vaccinations should be extended to teens 16+ since 30% of the cases currently range in this age group.
He said the fact that for two consecutive days the number of cases has been in the three digits implies that this will probably continue and even surpass 200 because these cases will result with positive contacts.
What is especially significant at the moment, he added, is to report contacts. “We do not have the luxury to hide our contacts or not to reveal them for any reason and allow potentially positive cases to roam around until it is too late,” he pointed out.
“And if we do not want
Source: Cyprus News Agency
Cyprus Foreign Minister, Nikos Christodoulides, met on Friday with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations who is paying a visit to Cyprus with whom he discussed about the latest developments in relation to the Cyprus problem, the fenced-off city of Famagusta and the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
The Foreign Ministry said in a post on its Twitter account that FM Christodoulides met this morning the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Lacroix with discussions focusing on latest developments in relation to the Cyprus problem, Varosha and UNFICYP.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
Cyprus’ Ministers of Transport, Communications & Works as well as Finance urged the public to get vaccinated in Cyprus and blamed low vaccination rates prohibiting Cyprus from making it to the British Green Travel list.
Transport Communications and Works Minister Yiannis Karousos revealed that Ministers are considering motives and counter-motives for those vaccinated adding that these will be discussed at ministerial committees.
Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides emphasised it all comes down to personal responsibility.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
Cyprus Chief Scientist for Research and Innovation, Nicolas Mastroyiannopoulos described the results of the 2021 European Innovation Scoreboard for Cyprus as particularly encouraging, stressing that Cyprus should continue at an increased pace to achieve greater innovation leaps.
The 2021 EIS shows Cyprus as one of the five highest climbers with an over 25% improvement, while Cyprus recorded the second best progress.
“The results are particularly encouraging but we should continue with an increased pace and zeal to achieve even bigger leaps in innovation,” Mastroyiannopoulos said commenting on the ESI according to a press release.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
The Antiquities Department is introducing the new research program “Digitizing the Museums of Cyprus” with the aim to digitize the island`s cultural heritage. The program was unveiled Friday during a press conference by Minister of Transport Yiannis Karousos who said that so far 20,217 ancient findings, 3,573 surveyed areas and 1,595 ancient monuments of Cyprus have been digitized in the framework of the “Cyprus Archaeological Digitization Program” (CADiP) between October 2009 and April 2011.
The new program is funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism (EEA) and Norway Grants (Programming Period 2014–2021) and has been undertaken by the Department of Antiquities.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
Tourist professionals have expressed concerns that Cyprus is moving closer to losing its target for 50% of tourist arrivals compared with 2019, as covid cases in the country are rising.
Philokypros Rousounides, General Director of the Cyprus Hoteliers Association said the situation is very worrying and very difficult, adding “it seems we are moving away from the target of achieving 50 to 55% of the 2019 tourist arrivals.”
Disrupted by the Covid pandemic, tourist arrivals in 2020 plunged by 84% compared with the record year of 2019, while spikes in Covid cases and travel restrictions in 2021 continue to weigh heavily on the sector which has a significant contribution to the island’s economy.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
Deposits in the Cypriot banking system registered a net increase for a second consecutive month in May amounting close to €49 billion.
According to data released by the Central Bank of Cyprus, loans declined for a second month in a row in May amounting to 31.3 billion while liquidity in the system stood at €17.4 billion.
Total deposits in May recorded a net (not including changes resulting from reclassifications, exchange rate and other adjustments) increase of €330.1 million, compared with a net increase of €233.1 million in April 2021. The annual growth rate stood at 3.1%, compared with 2.3% in April 2021, the CBC said, adding the total outstanding amount of deposits reached €48.7 billion in May 2021.
Total loans in May 2021 recorded a net decrease of €24.3 million, compared with a net decrease of €76.2 million in April 2021.
Source: Cyprus News Agency