COVID19: Cyprus Republic zero cases, Turkish Cypriots five

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Cyprus reported zero new coronavirus cases on Wednesday for the third time in July with total infections staying at 1,040 since the outbreak while the breakaway north confirmed five cases.

The Republic’s health authorities were able to report no new infection of COVID-19 was identified after an unusually high number of 2,465 tests, recording 16 COVID-free days since the outbreak in early March.

According to epidemiological data, no cases were detected after testing a record 1,407 samples from Cypriots recently returning or international arrivals at the airport, 102 samples from contact tracing of known cases, and another 94 samples from the general hospital microbiology labs.

Also coming back negative was 183 tests on people belonging to special groups referred by their GPs through public health centres and 261 more by private initiative.

The Health Ministry also announced that another 201 tests carried out in the framework of a Defence Ministry scheme for new army conscripts, came back negative.

Currently, no patients are being treated at the COVID-19 referral hospital in Paralimni.

Meanwhile, authorities in the Turkish occupied north of Cyprus reported a spike in cases as they announced five more taking their total number to 130 and four deaths since March.

The five latest coronavirus cases were confirmed by Alli Pilli, head of the Turkish Cypriot health authorities.

Cases in the north are announced every evening by Pilli himself.

Pilli said that the five new cases – following two on Tuesday and another two on Monday– involved a person arriving by air in the north, and another four who came via sea, without giving details on their nationality.

They were identified after 1,142 tests were carried out on Wednesday, with the majority of samples taken from people arriving on ferries and aeroplanes.

Turkish Cypriot authorities have now reported 22 coronavirus cases in July, following a decision to lift an obligatory quarantine on arrivals in the north, essentially opening its ports to coronavirus-struck Turkey.

July’s 22 cases followed a 75-day lull.

It caused an uproar in the community as cases were detected from the first day the north lifted obligatory quarantine for arrivals from Turkey.

Before July, Turkish Cypriots had not seen a new COVID-19 case since 17 April.

Divided Cyprus now has a combined total of 1,170 confirmed cases and 23 deaths.