A second lockdown could be imposed in South Cyprus because of the high case numbers of the coronavirus and the recent introduction of the new variant said to make the disease much more transmissible.
The new strain of coronavirus identified in the UK was detected in South Cyprus after tests on arrivals from the UK were completed, the Greek Cypriot ministry of health said on Sunday.
Tests were carried out by the Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING) on 19 people who had arrived from the UK and tested positive for the coronavirus. Twelve of them were found to be infected with the new, highly infectious strain.
It was reported that the Greek Cypriot Council of Ministers and the Epidemiological Advisory Board will hold an extraordinary meeting tomorrow to discuss the situation and take a decision on the general lockdown proposal, which, despite being the last option, is the only solution in order to avoid a collapse of the healthcare system which is coming under increasing strain in the south.
Currently hospitals can cope with the increasing numbers of coronavirus patients, but it is not certain for how long.
Kibris Postasi
