Authorities announced12 COVID-19 cases on Sunday

Cyprus authorities announced 12 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday out of 3,338 tests, with the total number of confirmed cases reaching 1,696.

In particular, according to a Health Ministry press release out of 447 samples tested privately, four people tested positive to COVID-19. One of them is a high school student from Limassol who presented with fever on September 18. The second one is an Omonia football club footballer who tested positive following repeat tests by the club in accordance with Cyprus Football Association (CFA) ad UEFA protocols. The other two people who tested positive are permanent residents of Cyprus who had returned from Russia on September 25 and had initially tested negative.

Out of 269 samples tested following referrals by GPs and the screening of special groups program two people tested positive. One of them was tested before having an operation while the other is a contact of a confirmed case originating from a recent cluster of infections announced in Larnaca district who had initially tested negative but was tested again in order to be allowed to end his self – isolation.

Out of 85 samples tested in the context of contact tracing of already confirmed cases five people tested positive. Two of them are from the family of Ethnikos Achnas club footballer. One is a contact from the work environment of a person who had been a contact of another footballer of Ethnikos Achnas club. The fourth person is a relative of a Nea Salamina club footballer. The fifth person is one of the people from the Czech Republic who had arrived on September 15 to Cyprus to train in a Limassol company and had initially tested negative. It is a cluster of 7 infected people. 

Out of 509 samples tested in the context of a random testing program of 3,000 in Larnaca district one person tested positive. It is a footballer of ASIL Lysi football club.

At the same time no-one tested positive out of 1,678 tests on passengers and people repatriating to Cyprus, 124 tests by the Microbiology Labs of the General Hospitals, 78 tests in Immigrant Reception Centres, and 148 tests on students, teachers and other school staff.

“Therefore, on the basis of data so far the total number of cases has reached 1,696,” the press release says.

Seventeen people who have tested positive are treated at Famagusta General Hospital, which operates as a reference hospital for COVID-19. Four of them are treated in the ICU.