Number of covid-19 cases in Cyprus should drop ‘in two to three weeks’, says Virologist and University of Cyprus professor

In two to three weeks, the epidemiological situation in Cyprus is expected to return to the low levels the country saw prior to the recent outbreak, Virologist and University of Cyprus professor Leontios Kostrikis said on Wednesday.

“I hope that after two or three weeks after the announcement of protective measures by the minister of health we will return to the levels we were at before. The period of three weeks is enough to stop the chains of infections, if we all take the right measures. What I want to see in Cyprus until the introduction of the vaccine, is to have small numbers, numbers that are close to zero," he said.

He also said that the virus appeared to be less pathogenic, and that Cyprus was not experiencing a second wave.

“At the end of this week, at the beginning of the next, I hope we will start to see the results of the measures and have a drop," the professor added.

It is recalled that masks must be worn in all indoor crowded areas in Cyprus.

Those who don’t follow the new rule, will be fined €300.

Fifteen new coronavirus cases were announced by the Ministry of Health of Cyprus on Wednesday.

Another observation was that the confirmed cases this time concerned younger people who could pass the novel virus on to the elderly.

The total number of cases since the start of the pandemic, now stands at 1,195.

As for a new lockdown, Kostrikis said: “If there will be a lockdown, I do not believe in the same lockdown philosophy that we had in March and April. It will be a very different adjustment because for many different reasons our country cannot withstand a new lockdown. We do not need to put people in a lockdown to implement a lockdown policy.”