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Authorities announced 17 COVID-19 cases on Monday

29/09/2020 08:56

Cyprus authorities announced on Monday 17 new COVID-19 cases after 2,465 lab tests were completed. The total number of cases stands at 1,713.

Three cases were traced at the private initiative, six while tracing the contacts of already confirmed cases, four in the framework of random tests carried out at Larnaca district and four are passengers or people who have been repatriated.

According to a Health Ministry press release, three of the cases were detected after 519 tests were carried out at the private initiative. The two of them are Bulgarian citizens who are permanent residents in Cyprus. They returned from Bulgaria on September 13 and had the test on the 12th day before being discharged from quarantine, as provided by the relevant decree. The third person is a British tourist who arrived in Cyprus on September 18 and stayed in Famagusta district. He had symptoms as fever, sore throat, muscular pains and headache on September 27.

Six cases were traced from 92 samples tested in the framework of the process of tracing the contacts of already confirmed cases. The first individual is working in a company in Limassol where five Czechs and two Cypriot employees have also tested positive. The cluster has therefore eight people, including today`s case. Two other people are close contacts from the family of a pupil at a Gymnasium in Limassol who was announced positive yesterday. The fourth person is a close contact from the family of a case that was announced on September 25 and had symptoms. The fifth person is a close contact from the family of a case that was announced on September 26 and took the test at the private initiative. The sixth person is a member of Nea Salamina football club.

Moreover, four individuals tested positive out of 753 who had the test in the framework of random tests carried out for 3000 people in Larnaca district. Three of the cases concerned samples taken in Makenzi area. The first person had fever and muscular pains. He is working at a bank in Livadia village. The second person has no symptoms. The third one is a close contact from the family of a footballer of ASIL Lysis football team who is a relative of a footballer of Ethnikos Ahnas. Two individuals from the family of the latter were announced yesterday as positive cases. The fourth individual who tested positive is a footballer of ASIL Lysis.

Four individuals tested positive out of 746 passengers and people who have been repatriated.  One of them arrived to Larnaca from Vilnius on September 27. The other three individuals arrived from Bucharest to Larnaca on September 27 as well and are related to each other.

Fifteen patients are currently treated at the Famagusta Hospital which is the COVID-19 Reference Hospital, four of them at the Advanced Care Unit.

No cases were traced after completing 187 lab tests of samples in the framework of the GP referrals program, 164 tests of samples taken by the Microbiological Labs of General Hospitals and four tests carried out in the framework of the program for checking pupils, teachers and members of the schools staff.

The Health Ministry called again on all citizens to contact their GPs if they have COVID-19 symptoms, noting that some of the individuals who had symptoms during the last days did not ask for medical advice immediately. As a result they transmitted the virus.

Moreover it is noted that some people who are close contacts of cases violate the instructions given to them for self-isolation and visit doctors privately or through Health Ministry programs, and this is dangerous for the public health.

The Ministry also said that apart from the big number of cases in Larnaca district, there is concern for clusters with a smaller number of people in the rest of the districts as well. Citizens are called to remain vigilant.