Under the "microscope" of the Health Minister and the members of the Scientific Advisory Committee, are the results of the sampling tests carried out daily and the hospitalisations of patients with coronavirus in hospitals.
The Cyprus[/b] Times was informed that the epidemiological data, i.e. the current week up to the New Year, will be evaluated and then decisions will be taken at the meeting scheduled for next Monday, January 3. Whether or not to go for further tightening of measures.
For now, the scenario of reducing congregations before the New Year seems remote, as a competent source told our website, but this cannot be ruled out if there is a dramatic increase in cases during the week and suffocating pressure in the Intensive Care Unit where an emergency meeting will be called.
Health Minister Michael Hadjipandela is expected today to ask for expert recommendations, which will be evaluated and put on the agenda at the next meeting.
Asked to respond to the Cyprus Times[/b] about the current situation, Health Minister's advisor Konstantinos Athanasiou noted that "it is manageable and the Ministry of Health is monitoring and evaluating all the data and especially the hospitalisations, where there is fortunately a slight decrease in the last few days".
"The Minister of Health is constantly communicating with the members of the SSC and will evaluate the week to ask the experts for recommendations which they will bring to the meeting next Monday," he said.
Asked if cases spike in the coming days and about the possibility of an emergency meeting, he said that "if a spike in hospitalisations or cases is observed in the coming days and the recommendations of experts are in favour of new measures, the possibility of an emergency meeting within the week is open."
The epidemiological picture is constantly changing due to Omicron...
However, speaking to the Cyprus Times Dr Zoe Dorothea Pana and asked to comment on the current situation, noted that, there are some facts that we cannot avoid, such as, the constantly changing epidemiological picture due to Omicron.
And he explained that, "the Omicron mutation is much more contagious and constantly changes the epidemiological picture every 2-3 days. There is pressure on the health system and it is a given that the Omicron mutation will prevail in Cyprus as well. What we want is to gain time and that is why we are constantly evaluating the data, he said."
Regarding vaccination coverage, he said that it is going well and is fortifying the population against the new mutation, calling on citizens who had reservations about mrna vaccines to come and get vaccinated with new technology vaccines, such as novavax, in order to shield themselves.
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Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
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