COVID19: Cyprus unable to stem cases surge

Cypriots were urged to strictly follow hygiene rules as new COVID-19 cases surged to 35 on Saturday, the second-highest spike since mid-April.

Cyprus is suffering its worst outbreak of coronavirus since the pandemic peaked six months ago.

This has prompted the Health Ministry to tell the public to follow COVID protocols at work and in their social life as people are not adhering to social distancing rules or mask-wearing.

The Health Ministry said the 35 cases were found from a higher than average 3,414 tests raising the total number of infections in Cyprus to 1,986.

Saturday’s 35 cases are the second-highest since mid-April, two weeks after the first wave peaked at 58 cases on 1 April.

The highest number of daily cases reported since April was on 23 September when authorities reported 36.

Cyprus is now consistently registering a high number of daily cases suggesting that transmission of the virus is spreading.

Of the 35 new cases, many were linked to clusters already formed including Limassol General Hospital, TEPAK technical university and various family-related infections.

Several were also linked with a recent travel history to the UK while two Syrian migrants tested positive.

Three Czech Republic national team footballers also tested positive after they arrived in Cyprus to play an international friendly in Larnaca earlier this week.

The Czechs are scheduled to face Israel in Haifa on Sunday, and Scotland in Glasgow on Wednesday.

The team was to fly to Israel on Saturday from Cyprus, which hosted the Czech team in a friendly match Wednesday. The visitors won 2-1 in Larnaca.

The Czech Republic has been facing a record surge in new coronavirus infections with over 8,000 new positive cases on Friday.

The Health Ministry said three patients are being treated for SARS-CoV-2 at Famagusta General.

Two more remain on a ventilator in intensive care at Nicosia General.