Nicosia, 30 April 2020 - The European Commission, in close partnership with UNDP in Cyprus, has successfully coordinated its emergency response in the Turkish Cypriot community. Almost half of the procured medical equipment and supplies have already been delivered to the Turkish Cypriot community. By mid-May 2020, three-quarters of the supplies amounting to approximately Euro 1.9 million will have been delivered.

576 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kits were delivered on 10 April, followed by the delivery of 20 suction units, one biosafety cabinet, one medical waste shredder unit, 15,000 face shields, additional 4,416 PCR kits, 30,000 overalls and 32 pumps for infusion/blood/drugs, 40 flowmeters and 720 DNA purification kits still in April. In the coming weeks 5,000 heat-and-moisture-exchange, (HME) filters, additional 1,200 DNA purification kits, one mobile X-ray machine, 3,000 gowns, the first 10 ventilators, one additional biosafety cabinet, 20  monitors with their accessory sets and automatic equipment for sample molecular testing will be delivered.

The assessment of further needs to fight against Covid-19 in the Turkish Cypriot community has been ongoing and funding up to EUR5 million remains available for this purpose.  In this regard, personal protection equipment (PPE) for local communities, 30 additional ventilators and 28 infusion pumps, one videobronchoscope, six videolaryngoscopes, 8,000 masks/respirators, and medicines amounting to more than Euro 2.5 million is under procurement.