The Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that two patients have died from Covid-19 and another eight have tested positive, bringing the total number of dead to three and confirmed cases to 124 (including three in the British Bases).

The new deaths are of a 64 year old Briton and of a 58 year old Cypriot. The Briton had underlying health issues whereas the Cypriot did not.

According to the update from the Ministry of Health, the new confirmed cases are:

3 found through tracing of the contacts of people who were found positive to Coronavirus

2 are people who had returned from trips to Europe

3 whose history is being investigated

The Epidemiological monitoring unit has already started tracing the contacts of the new cases and will take swabs to run tests.

65 of the 124 confirmed cases are from contact with other people found positive to Coronavirus.

Nineteen patients are currently being treated at Famagusta hospital, the referral hospital for Covid-19, three in the ICU there.

Four patients are intubated in the ICU of Nicosia Hospital (two) and Limassol Hospital (two) Dr Leonitos Kostrikis and Dr Marios Loizou told a press conference. More may need to be intubated, they warned

“As you appreciate the effort of addressing the pandemic has moved to the next stage. We are dealing more serious cases, We hoped that it would not have happened but it did. The main problem is very serious pneumonia. The big battle is given daily in the ICUs of the hospitals and the departments which support them. But we must not forget a single moment that like other countries we need time to prepare the best possible,” they said.

Currently there are 32 ICU beds available for Covid-19 patients, with the potential to increase this to 125 with the addition of another 89 beds in Nicosia and four in Limassol.

“As you appreciate, every day we gain is important. Expressing the anguish of the medical professionals of our hospitals, we are begging you stay home. Give us the chance to be as ready as possible,” they concluded.