COVID19: Alarm over people exposed to virus breaking quarantine

Cyprus Health authorities are alarmed as they have found that people identified as close contacts of known coronavirus cases are violating their mandatory 14-day quarantine.

If people exposed to the virus do not self-isolate, then they are helping the virus to spread with all the negative consequences that entail.

This is a major factor in the authorities being unable to suppress a spike in coronavirus cases over recent weeks.

A Health Ministry statement Friday said people notified that they have been in close contact with a known COVID case are instructed not to leave their home, nor can they accept visitors.

Close contacts are being notified through an SMS on their mobile phones with which they are instructed to follow the relevant protocol which is posted on the webpage: https://www.pio.gov.cy/coronavirus/pdf/o2.pdf

The Ministry stressed that close contacts who test negative during the 14-day period are still not allowed to break their 14-day self-isolation period.

The Health Ministry reminds that respecting health protocols, social distancing, strict implementation of personal protection rules, hand hygiene, mask-wearing, social distancing, is the simplest and safest way to overcome this pandemic.

People who believe they are a close contact of a positive case can also inform the contact tracing team on 1412.