Two new COVID19 cases had UK travel history

Cyprus confirmed another two new COVID-19 cases on Friday involving people with a recent travel history to the UK.

The first case involved an Indian student who arrived on 5 July from the UK and was tested before being admitted to hospital for other non-related health issues.

A Health Ministry statement said the student’s positive test was among 85 samples tested at hospital laboratories.

The second case was a Cypriot woman who had returned from the UK on 11 July.

She was found positive to the virus while in the UK but was given the all-clear after testing negative twice.

After undergoing a test at a private lab before being admitted to hospital for a surgery, she tested positive again.

Another 286 samples tested at private labs came back negative.

These two positive cases were detected from 1,329 lab tests carried out on Friday, bringing the total number of infections recorded in Cyprus since the outbreak in March to 1,033.

According to epidemiological data, no positive cases were detected from 72 lab tests on employees who went back to work during phase two and three of easing restrictive measures, or 29 tests completed as part of referrals from GPs and special groups screening at the public health centres.

The Ministry of Health said it had carried out 88 tests on contacts of known coronavirus cases and another 600 tests on repatriated Cypriots and passengers without identifying a new infection.

Meanwhile, 168 tests were carried out in the framework of a Defence Ministry scheme for new army conscripts, they came back negative.