COVID19: Cyprus cases break past 2,000 mark, 6 travel related

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Cyprus health authorities reported 20 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 on Sunday, with the total since the coronavirus pandemic started in March passing the 2,000 mark to reach 2,006.

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.

Of the new Covid-19 cases, six were travel related.

One is from Romania who arrived on September 27 and needed a negative test result to be freed from quarantine, but tested positive again. Similarly, one person arrived from Ukraine a week earlier on October 4 and needed a negative test to be released from quarantine.

Two others had arrived from Russia on September 28 and needed a negative test to return to Russia. Both tested positive.

One is a crew member of an airline who are tested frequently due to their profession, and the sixth is a passenger who arrived from Manchester on Saturday, October 10.

Of the remaining cases, one is a student at the University of Cyprus and she showed first symptoms on October 5, while three others are work colleagues of a person who tested positive on October 7.

Four cases were discovered through contact tracing investigations related to earlier cases, three of whom are linked to clusters.

However, a case related to one of these clusters was reported to be working at a school for special students in Paphos having been in contact with two of the people infected in that cluster.

The health ministry said it was continuing its random testing programme of residents in the Larnaca and Famagusta districts that had seen an explosion of cases in early September when football players in five clubs were infected, but transmitted the virus to other players, club officials and trainers, some of whom had second jobs at neighbouring clubs.

The entire Nea Salamina FC squad was quarantined and lost a significant part of the championship season.

These clusters also infected high school students who play in the junior academies of the same clubs.

After a lull of about a month, Cyprus reported three deaths last week raising the toll to 33.

At present, three patients are being treated at the Famagusta General designated reference hospital for Covid-19, and two remain intubated at the intensive care unit of Nicosia General.