COVID19: Turkish Cypriots report seventh case

Turkish Cypriot authorities on Tuesday reported one more case of COVID-19 in the north of Cyprus bringing the total number of infected people to seven.

The new case concerns another German national who had been in quarantine at a hotel in Famagusta after a member of a tour group from Germany had tested positive for the virus.

This is the third tourist to test positive after a 65-year-old German woman – the first case – was taken ill with COVID-19 on March 10, followed the next day by her elderly husband.

According to Turkish Cypriot media, the third German tourist to test positive was initially tested negative but after developing a fever, he was found to have COVID-19.

The tourist was on holiday in Famagusta with a group of 30 fellow German travellers who arrived in the north via the Tymbou airport (Ercan).

Divided Cyprus now has a total of 53 COVID-19 cases after the Republic declared 46 cases on Monday since the outbreak on March 9.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases in Turkey are increasing rapidly after the country announced its first case on 11 March. According to the latest reports, the country now has 47 COVID-19 cases.

The virus is spreading rapidly across the globe, as one after the other, countries are going into lockdown.

The novel coronavirus is affecting 162 countries and territories around the world and 1 international conveyance (the Diamond Princess cruise ship harboured in Yokohama, Japan).

According to the World Health Organisation’s data, as of Monday, 166,511 cases have been recorded globally. Some 6,600 have died after being infected with the virus.

WHO has reported that cases in the rest of the world have overtaken those of China.

China is still first in the number of cases with 80,881 and 3,226 deaths, followed by Italy with 27,980 cases.

The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has risen in the last 24 hours by 349 to 2,158, an increase of 19.3%, the Civil Protection Agency said.