COVID19: Cyprus keeps cases low for two weeks

Cyprus has succeeded in keeping daily COVID-19 cases down to a trickle as health authorities announced just three new cases on Thursday.

While Cyprus has kept cases below double figures for 13 days running, all cases reported on Thursday have a recent travel history.

One of the three imported cases involved a Cypriot expat living permanently in the UK who arrived on the 5 September to visit his family in Cyprus.

He reported developing symptoms two days later and tested privately.

The second case was an Indian man, permanently living in Cyprus who returned on 20 August after visiting his home country.

He took the test at a private lab so he could return to work.

The third case was a person who arrived from South Africa on 29 August and took the test before ending a mandatory quarantine as they had arrived from a category C country.

All arrivals from category C countries must self-isolate for 14 days and get tested 2 days before they end their quarantine.

Thursday’s results were reported after some 2,452 tests were carried out, bringing the Republic’s COVID-19 total to 1,517.

No positive tests came back from 787 samples taken from airport passenger arrivals.

Similarly, no positive cases were found among some 151 tests on contacts of known cases or some 383 tests on teachers and school staff.

The Health Ministry also announced that the first 80 results of a targeted scheme of 5,000 COVID-19 tests among the 18-40 age group at bars, restaurants, shopping malls and universities were negative.

Three patients are being treated at the COVID-19 reference hospital at Famagusta General with one in the Acute Care Unit.

Another patient is at the Nicosia General’s ICU on a ventilator.