COVID19: Woman charged with assault after refusing airport test

A 47-year-old Greek Cypriot woman returning from a trip to the Greek island of Mykonos was charged with assaulting a Paphos airport official after refusing to take a random coronavirus test.

Cyprus police said the female passenger when arriving at Paphos airport on Saturday became violent when asked to be tested for COVID-19.

During the altercation, the female airport official suffered cuts and bruises.

The woman was said to be travelling with her husband and child when she protested at being randomly tested as part of the Health Ministry’s testing scheme on repatriated Cypriots and arrivals.

Police later charged her with causing actual bodily harm and disobeying a decree issued by the Health Minister, after the official filed a complaint.

Police confirmed to the Financial Mirror that the woman was not arrested but charged with assault before the family headed back to their home in Limassol, without being tested.