COVID19: Cyprus cases edge past 1,500

Cyprus on Friday reported just four new Covid-19 infections, squeezing total cases since the outbreak began past the 1,500 barrier.

Health authorities have, however, succeeded in keeping daily cases in single-digit figures for a week, following fluctuating rates of coronavirus.

Friday’s results were reported after an unusually low number of 1,810 tests was carried out, bringing the national COVID-19 total to 1,502.

The four new cases included two people with recent travel history, a Syrian migrant arriving by boat in Cyprus on Thursday night and a local infection.

The Health Ministry said that the test results of people onboard the boat with the migrant found positive will be announced on Saturday.

Two cases involving people with a travel history were Cypriots returning from the Greek holiday island of Mykonos. The two had taken the test at a private laboratory. Both are asymptomatic.

A fourth case, involving a local infection was a woman who was found positive at a private lab. She had sought to be tested after having symptoms for a week.

Following the case, the Health Ministry issued an announcement urging the public to contact their General Practitioner at the first sight of COVID-19 related symptoms.

“Any delay in seeking medical help carries the risk of transmitting the virus and infecting other people from the individual’s family, friends and professional environment and, consequently, helping the virus spread within the community,” said a Health Ministry announcement.

No positive cases were found among some 847 tests carried out on passengers at Cyprus airports.

Five patients are being treated at the COVID-19 reference hospital at Famagusta General while two more are on ventilators in intensive care at Nicosia General.