Day: August 19, 2022

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Three deaths and 2,130 new cases due to COVID-19 in the past week, Ministry of Health announces

Cyprus on Friday announced 3 deaths from COVID-19 and 2,130 new cases, recorded between August 12 and 18.

According to the Health Ministry, 47,532 tests were carried out with a positivity rate of 4.48%.

The deaths concern 3 men aged 65, 68 and 92. This brings the number of deaths from COVID-19 so far to 1,152.

The Ministry said that, 574,124 COVID-19 cases have been recorded so far.

Currently, 73 patients with COVID-19 are being treated in hospital, including 15 who are in a serious condition; seven of them are intubated, and eight in a high-dependency unit.

Three post-COVID patients continue to be intubated in the ICU.

The number of PCR tests in the past seven days was 2,402 with 206 positive results and a positivity rate of 8.58%, while total antigen rapid tests were 45,130 with 1,924 positive results and a positivity rate of 4.26%.

In particular, out of 2 PCR tests carried out through contact tracing, none tested positive. Out of 1,936 PCR tests carried out on a private initiative 145 cases were detected. Another 1,842 people tested positive out of 29,882 rapid antigen tests carried out privately.

A total of 15,248 rapid antigen tests were carried out in the context of Ministry of Health screening programmes detecting 82 cases. These include 8,686 tests in testing units with 45 cases, 293 tests in the National Guard with only one positive case, 4,093 tests in homes for the elderly with 22 positives and 2,176 tests in closed structures with 14 positive results.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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STATEMENT BY COMMISSIONER KYRIAKIDES ON THE INTRADERMAL USE OF MONKEYPOX VACCINE

Today, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has advised on intradermal use of monkeypox vaccine. EMA’s Emergency Task Force (ETF) has reviewed data showing that people who receive the monkeypox vaccine as an intradermal injection (injection into the skin) produce similar levels of antibodies to those who receive it as a subcutaneous injection (injection under the skin). As only one fifth of a dose is necessary for intradermal vaccination compared to subcutaneous injection, this new recommendation will help to protect many more people with the available doses.

Welcoming the recommendation, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides said: “Today’s very important recommendation by the European Medicines Agency for a new strategy of intradermal vaccination for monkeypox will allow Member States to vaccinate five times as many people with the vaccine supply available in the EU. This ensures greater access to vaccination for citizens at risk and healthcare workers.

We have been working relentlessly from day one to support Member States to tackle the monkeypox outbreak. In a short space of time, the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) led and coordinated two purchases totalling over 160,000 doses of vaccines, before the WHO declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. They were financed for the first time by the EU budget as a direct procurement, making sure that they reach Member States and citizens as quickly as possible, to meet urgent and immediate needs. Within weeks, deliveries had started for Member States most in need, and they will continue to accelerate in the coming days and weeks.

To meet our Member States’ medium-term needs, HERA launched a joint procurement procedure for additional vaccines as well as for therapeutics. All of this shows that the Commission took swift action to acquire vaccines for our citizens. These actions combined with today’s recommendation by EMA will ensure quicker protection of the most vulnerable and speed up vaccination for citizens at risk. This is a true European Health Union in action.

We will continue to coordinate our response to this outbreak closely with our Member States in the weeks and months ahead on vital issues such as increasing reporting, defining vaccination strategies, giving clear information to our citizens, and procuring therapeutics and further vaccines. As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has shown, we are stronger when we work together.”

Background information

The Commission is committed to build a stronger and active European Health Union that is prepared and able to respond to emerging health threats. The COVID-19 pandemic showed the importance of coordination among European countries and the added value of a common response in face of cross-border health threats.

The European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) is a key pillar of the European Health Union and a fundamental asset to strengthen the EU’s health emergency response and preparedness. HERA was established in October 2021 to replace ad hoc approaches for pandemic response with a permanent structure with adequate tools and resources to plan ahead the EU action in case of health emergencies. HERA will anticipate threats and potential health crises, through intelligence gathering and building the necessary response capacities.

From the onset of the monkeypox outbreak, the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) has been, alongside other Commission services and Member States, closely following the evolution of the outbreak in Europe and supporting the preparedness and response efforts of all Member States.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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Masks and testing for schools in draft roadmap for management of the pandemic

On August 30, the final roadmap for the management of the pandemic will be presented, the Minister of Health, Michael Hadjipandela has said, adding that scientists are in favour of the use of masks and that the return of students and teachers to schools with a 48-hour rapid test is being considered. The statements of the Minister of Health were made after the end of his meeting with the members of the Advisory Scientific Committee, on Friday at the Ministry of Health.

The Minister said that at the meeting the draft roadmap was discussed and within the next week, everyone will give some suggestions to the Ministry of Health so that the final roadmap can be presented on August 30, before the next session of the Council of Ministers.

Asked whether vaccination is included in the road map, he said that he was informed by the European Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, that within 2-3 weeks news are expected regarding vaccines, which will protect against the new mutations and the procedures that will be followed.

Furthermore, he said that it was suggested that students and teachers will be required to present a negative 48-hour rapid test to return to school. Depending on the results of that rapid test, decisions will be made on what needs to be done in the future. He added that this proposal will be reexamined next week, because in the last 15 days the number of COVID-19 cases has been on a downward trend and expressed hope that this will remain the case for the next 10 days.

Also, the Minister said that the proposal also concerns teachers, “but we are trying – before taking this proposal to the Council of Ministers – to find the ways to implement this decision”.

Regarding the mandatory use of a mask, Hadjipandela explained that “scientists maintain a strong opinion that the mask protects and at the present time we cannot remove it”. He clarified that the use of a mask is mandatory for adults and children over 12 years old, and this includes schools.

Dr Zoi-Dorothea Pana, on behalf of the Scientific Advisory Committee, congratulated the Ministry of Health for the work that has been done as regards the roadmap, which, as she said, “is a framework, it is the pillars, it is the tools, that will highlight existing work and strengthen future work, using what we have at hand in every phase of the pandemic.”

Asked about the noticeable reduction in cases and the stable course of hospitalisations, Pana noted that the biggest lesson after more than two years of the pandemic, is “to be careful and not be driven by either panic or complacency, and this also concerns our indicators in hospitals”. She also said that the good picture creates an optimism for the autumn as well, pointing out that we should focus on preparedness, individual responsibility and the knowledge and experience we have gained in order to achieve balance in autumn and winter.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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High percentage of passenger cars in Cyprus older than 10 years according to Eurostat

Most passenger cars in Cyprus are between 10 and 20 years old according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical service of the European Union.

Specifically, on December 31st 2020, only 4% of passenger cars in Cyprus were newer than 2 years old (22,812 cars), 10% were between 2 and 5 years old (58,211), 20% were between 5 and 10 years old (117,506), 49% were between 10 and 20 years old (283,537) and 17% were older than 20 years old (96,092).

A total of 66% of passengers’ cars in Cyprus were therefore older than 10 years old.

Eurostat points out that in recent years, various countries offered programmes supporting the purchase of new cars with low emissions while scrapping the owners’ old cars.

However, the renewal of the fleet has been hampered by restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic and supply-chain disruptions.

At the end of 2020, the highest share of the newest passenger cars (2 years and less) among the EU Member States was registered in Luxembourg (22% of all passenger cars in Luxembourg).

Luxembourg was followed by France, Austria, Ireland, Belgium and Sweden (all between 16% and 17%).

Meanwhile, the highest shares of passenger cars from 2 to 5 years old were recorded in Luxembourg and Ireland (both 28%) and in Belgium (24%).

The highest shares of the oldest passenger cars (20 years or older) were registered in Poland (40%), Estonia (33%) and Finland (28%).

When combining the two oldest age classes, the highest share of passenger cars that are over 10 years old was registered in Lithuania (81%), followed by Romania (80%) and Poland (78%).

This is in stark contrast to Luxembourg (24%), Ireland (29%) and Belgium (32%), where these shares are less than one third of the fleet.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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Virtual meetings beween Greek Cypriot negotiator and Turkish Cypriot special representative to resume next week

Virtual meetings between the negotiator of the Greek Cypriot side, Menelaos Menelaou, and the special representative of the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, Ergun Olgun, are expected to resume next week, the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) has learned.

The meetings are taking place under the UN auspices, with the participation of the UNSG’s Special Representative to Cyprus, Colin Stewart, and the last one had taken place during the penultimate week of July.

A well-informed source told CNA that the discussion is expected to focus on issues with which the bicommunal Technical Committees are dealing with, noting that the Committees are active to the extent that each one has opportunities to work on projects.

The same source noted that a couple of such virtual meetings or even more may take place before the President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, and his entourage depart for New York, during the second half of September, for the UN General Assembly and the other meetings which the President will have there, including the one with the UN Secretary – General, Antonio Guterres.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency