If the residents of Achna do not comply to undergo a coronavirus test and declare their close contacts, the only way left to control the situation is to impose a local lockdown, the member of the Scientific Team at the Ministry of Health told KYPE. Professor of Microbiology / Molecular Virology of the Medical School of the University of Nicosia, Petros Karagiannis, pointing out that the situation so far in this community is extremely dangerous, with the possibility of the virus spreading in clusters in other parts of Cyprus.
The Professor stated that "the situation as it is formed in Achna is extremely dangerous because if the residents move and go to other areas of Cyprus, we will surely suddenly find ourselves in front of the scene of the multiple chain transmission. "Then the only way to deal with the situation is with a local lockdown."
Mr. Karagiannis called on the residents to show responsibility and cooperation because the situation is very serious.
"I do not understand why they refuse to give their contacts or to be tested. Instead, this effort and compliance will be rewarded by others. No one will criticize them or stigmatize them. "These must disappear from our society, we need a collective effort, not to hide," he noted.
In this case, he added, the Ministry of Health should look at how it could convince residents that it is for their own good and that of their families. "If the non-genus come out positive and transmit to people in their immediate environment who are elderly and even worse if they belong to vulnerable groups and one of them ends up, then this will burden their conscience for a long time," he added.
Mr. Karagiannis stated in his statements to KYPE that all contacts need to be identified in order to limit the spread of the virus.
"At the moment there is the transmission of the virus in the close environment of the players and managers of the Achna football team. The virus has spread to another group, ASIL. Therefore, we need to make a diligent effort to locate all contacts so as to limit the further spread of the virus. The virus has also reached the Renaissance of Deryneia through contact. "Therefore, at the moment there is a spread of the virus in the free part of Famagusta and if we are not careful it will go to other areas as well", he stressed.
If, he continued, "an attempt is made to see where this virus has spread through random sampling, it is of the utmost importance that people respond first of all to see what is happening in the community and secondly to state all possible contacts so that we can detect possible cases in time ".
It seems, "from the results of the last two days, positive people emerge, who were not considered in the initial stage to be close contacts with the known cases", he added.
Regarding the transmission of the virus to a primary school student in the community of Achna, the teacher expressed the position that it is good to use the masks in primary school as well.
"In primary school, because it is not obligatory to wear masks there, more attention is needed in managing the situation, mainly in terms of locating close contacts. So far we have had at least three cases of either a teacher or students being positive for the virus in secondary schools and so far fortunately we have not had further transmission within schools. In this way, the incidents in the primary schools must be dealt with ", he noted
"I urge the people to respond for the good of the Achna region and the whole of Cyprus in general, because if we spread the virus we will be dealing with a situation that none of us will like," was the final appeal of Mr. Karagianni.
Source: KYPE