Health Minister Kanari sees no justification for stricter measures regarding COVID-19

A meeting with the Scientific Advisory Committee for COVID-19 is scheduled for 29 August in the presence of the Minister of Health, to evaluate the epidemiological indicators and the new data regarding the virus.

Minister of Health Dr. Popi Kanari, speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the World Conference of Cyprus Diaspora in Nicosia on 23 August, underlined that "there is currently no justification for any stricter measures regarding the Coronavirus”.

The Minister of Health said, "On the 29th of the month, the Committee will convene and we will see whether we will continue with the measures currently in place, which include rapid tests in hospitals and nursing homes." She noted that "these are the only precautions that currently exist, as is the case in many other countries."

“Currently, we cannot justify taking any stricter measures”, she said, adding that the ministry is monitoring the new subvariant 'Eris' and is also vigilant about the new variant identified in Canada, Israel, and the UK. She also said the ministry is in continuous communication with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and the data is such that there is no justification for any additional measures, nor for panic.

Dr. Kanari said that the Ministry of Health monitors the data daily, which it collects and will provide to the Committee members for their study, to decide on how to proceed.

Furthermore, the Minister of Health said that they have already updated the vaccination programme for the coming year.

"The programme has already been set. Vaccinations will start being administered from the end of September until the beginning of November, both for the new COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine," she said.

She further noted that the WHO suggests that these vaccines should be administered together for this year. She added that vaccination centers will offer the option for citizens to receive them simultaneously this year. This, she added, applies to citizens over 60 years old and vulnerable groups. She clarified that personal doctors, as before, will also be able to administer the flu vaccines.

(Source: CNA)