COVID19: Cyprus new case from same Bulgaria flight

Cyprus health authorities said Thursday they have identified one more COVID-19 case which involved another passenger onboard a flight from Bulgaria.

It is the second positive case to be flagged – after tests at Larnaca airport – on the same flight from the Bulgarian capital Sofia.

According to the Health Ministry, the two individuals are not related, do not know each other, and were not seated near each other on Tuesday’s flight.

Bulgaria was considered a country of low risk but was demoted to the higher risk Category B, health authorities said Thursday.

The ministry decision will be effective as of Monday until then all passengers arriving from Bulgaria will be tested at the airport.

Tourists and passengers from Category A countries do not need to provide a certificate to prove they are COVID-19 negative while visitors from Category B countries need to have taken a test 72 hours before arriving in Cyprus.

According to the Health Ministry, the positive case was among a total of 490 tests on passengers and repatriations.

According to the epidemiological data the positive coronavirus case was identified after 1,104 tests, bringing total COVID-19 cases to 992.

The Health Ministry said no cases were detected after testing 36 samples from contact tracing of known cases and 176 samples were negative from private initiative.

Also coming back negative was 163 samples from the general hospital microbiology labs, as were 66 tests on people belonging to special groups referred by their GPs through public health centres.

Some 171 tests were negative from samples of employees who have recently returned to work after lockdown such as gyms and museums.

No patients are currently being treated in an Intensive Care Unit.