Press Releases

We have our lives in our hands and despite the fatigue we all feel, we have no other choice but to observe the measures, Health Minister Mr. Constantinos Ioannou said today after his meeting with the members of the Advisory Scientific Committee for the coronavirus.

“Unfortunately,” Mr. Ioannou stated, “in the last few days there has been an increase in outbreaks, especially yesterday, and a fast deterioration of the epidemiological picture, with the danger of the situation veering out of control already in sight. We are at an extreme point and it is only a matter of time before our hospitals are full and we start counting victims.”

In the last weeks, the Minister went on, there have been repeated warnings that “the epidemiological situation is extremely fragile with the data analysis showing that there was yet to be strict adherence to the protocols.”  He referred to symptomatic patients who overlook the symptoms for a number of days before submitting to a laboratory test, and also to cases of persons trying to evade the measures, while also expressing concern for close contacts not being reported during tracing. “For instance, football teams that reserved pitches in other districts, so that “the boys would not miss their training,” he said.

The Minister then noted that the fatigue and weariness of everybody, including himself, was understandable and comprehensible. However, he underlined, there is no other choice since “we have to do with a virus, which is here amongst us and is lethal. As there is no effective vaccine yet and one is not anticipated to come out in the coming months, and there being no targeted treatment, the only effective treatment is adherence to the measures and protocols: Hands-Masks-Distancing and the other protocols. In but a few words, the responsibility for containment is in our hands.”

Addressing the young, the Minister for Health appealed to them to observe the measures of social distancing. “If they themselves do not care about their health, let them think of their parents, grandfathers, grandmothers and the vulnerable ones or let them spare a thought for the health professionals, who will presently be called upon to look after the patients in the hospitals risking their own health,” he characteristically stated.

He went on to repeat his appeal for the employers to make sure that the existing protocols, which have been simplified, are observed. He noted that a meeting had been fixed for Friday to explain again these protocols. “I appeal also to the businesses: Let those in charge of security take action without waiting for the inspectors or the Police. This is going to be part of our daily routine and unless there is cooperation by the citizens as a whole, nothing will come out of it.  There are measures in place. We hold our lives and those of our fellow citizens in our hands,” he said.

Concerning today’s emergency meeting with the epidemiological team, Mr. Ioannou said that the situation was evaluated both geographically and qualitatively. “We consider that the measures now in force, either in Limassol where there is a problem or in Nicosia that follows, are sufficient. What is imperative is to implement the measures. It has been decided to adopt the use of facemask in all indoor spaces and not only where people are served; an announcement will be issued about this within the day. That is to say, we should wear a facemask where there are more than two persons in a closed space. The epidemiological team understands that the important thing is not to take additional measures but to observe the existing ones.  We must realise that we have to grabble with this virus for months because what we find out is that when we have an upsurge of cases we take measures, and then there is a decline and relaxation leading to a new upsurge. It must become part of our daily routine,” the Minister said.

Already, he noted, a meeting was held last week with the involvement of all the services for the monitoring of the measures, not in order to hand out fines but as a follow up with more meetings scheduled in this context, in an effort to create more sensibility about observing the measures and protocols. A campaign for the information and awareness of the public with film spots is getting under way, he added.

On his part, the member of the AEC Giorgos Nikolopoulos reiterated that we are at a crucial crossroad “because these clusters that we see and which we can for the time being investigate up to a certain level, may lead to a generalized level of infection in the community.”

“We focus our attention on what will happen later, as regards deaths and hospitalization; we all need to forge an alliance in order to avoid, if there is time, such an eventuality. These are simple things that are within our grasp, we should not only wait for the State to come and impose things. I think that if we all fall in line, we shall be able to keep undesirable outcomes, hospitalizations and deaths, at low levels in our country and come out of this as a successful model in the end,” Mr. Nikolopoulos stressed.

On his part, Dr. Constantinos Tsioutis, member of the AEC noted that “we did well in two important peaks so far, because each one played his role. Therefore, this too is a crucial moment. We have some figures, which might take on more serious dimensions and each one of us must adjust our choices and daily routine, reduce our contacts by leaving aside or postponing things that are not important. We have a hard winter ahead of us, so we must as of now organize our daily routine and our work schedule, form our own social groups and at the same time uphold the measures for our protection and for that of our loved ones.”

He concluded that the cases we are seeing these days are not mere numbers, “they are human beings and some of them will show symptoms, some will need to be hospitalized and others will be seriously ill and in need of the services of the Intensive Care Unit; therefore we must all be careful not to end up in the most difficult situations.”

Asked if this were his last appeal to the citizens to comply with the measures, the Minister for Health explained that we were at an extreme point. “We have said before that it was only a matter of days for the situation to get out of hand and now we are precisely at the point where it may, so each one must take their own measures. We do take measures, if the people comply and cooperate we shall have no problems, if the people do not cooperate and do not take measures, then we have these phenomena. Unfortunately, there is nothing else we can do. Measures have been taken and monitoring is being carried out, but we cannot be everywhere all the time. Our lives are in our hands,” he answered characteristically.

Invited to give more details about the decision for the use of mask in all indoor spaces,  Mr. Ioannou explained that, with the exception of private homes, the use of a facemask shall be obligatory in closed areas, whether an office, social venue etc. and he referred to a Press Release that would be issued later on.

Replying to a question about the meeting which will be held on Friday with the employers’ organizations, the Minister for Health said that everyone had the responsibility to support this effort. The protocols, he noted, have been simplified, there are security and health officers in each enterprise and an on-line training seminar will take place tomorrow. “Important things have been achieved on the issue of monitoring, we shall have meetings with the employers’ organizations, because we must all support this effort,” he said.

Asked if there were any thoughts about making specific regulations for the work places, Mr. Ioannou said a recommendation had already been made for teleworking and it would be good to have it implemented where it was possible. Also, suggestions had been made to have different starting hours for workers, grouping of workers, different breaks, etc. They should be applied where they are feasible, the Minister stressed, clarifying though that the Ministry could not impose their implementation.

“Where we can impose the measures, we do so. You cannot impose teleworking. What we impose is through the protocols, which are sufficient to prevent the spread of the virus if implemented. In addition, we suggest some other measures which can help even more. However, what we notice is that the people are not interested, they do not observe the measures, they are tired. It is the same in all the countries. Unfortunately, though, we must realise that we have months ahead of us, because this is the only way we can face up to the virus,” the Minister for Health said.

Asked about the readiness of public hospitals  to cope with possible increase of outbreaks, Mr. Ioannou said: “The hospitals are perfectly ready and I have a meeting again with OKYpY tomorrow for them to present their planning to me. You realise, however, that there is always a ceiling about how far they can get. Nevertheless, the public hospitals are prepared since last spring and they are perfectly organised to handle the upsurge of the pandemic.”

Asked if after the outbreaks located in the Limassol General Hospital, strict measures will be taken in all of the hospitals, Mr. Ioannou made clear that the infection chain had been created outside the public hospital. “Certainly the hospitals have taken strict measures throughout the pandemic. This is so in regard with visits and brief hospitalization, and the measures taken are very strict. This does not mean that the risk of having new cases is eliminated. The fact, however, that an outbreak appears in connection with a hospital, does not mean that the infection chain has started from the hospital,” he explained.

Replying to a question if there was a sign for a change in the infection indicator, Mr. Nikolopoulos said that it was certainly above 1 and certainly over the ratio that we had before. That is, whether it is either 1 or 1.5, it is serious and the small values above 1 are a cause of concern to us.

In response to a relevant question, the Health Minister said that it was self-evident that, according to the data so far, the social distancing measures were not being observed in some places of work, causing a large number of workers to be infected.

Finally, asked to say if the measures imposed on the local level will be imposed island-wide, Mr. Ioannou said that the epidemiological picture was under surveillance and continuous evaluation and the appropriate measures would be taken where necessary. “Our aim is not to punish but to stop the spread of virus by targeted measures,” the Minister concluded.

(ND)