in-cyprus 23 April 2020 - by Bouli Hadjioannou
Coronavirus tests of a random sample of 800 people from all over the island begins tomorrow, the Health Ministry has announced.
It said the tests aim to give an indication of the extent of infection in the community and to compare such infections by age group and district.
The random sample was determined by district and age group and selected participants are being informed. Once they give their consent, appointments will be made at public health clinics.
The ministry said that the personal data of all participants will be kept confidential, in line with the recommendations of the personal data protection commissioners.
The sample taking and processing of the data is expected to be completed on April 28 and the findings will contribute to the government’s efforts to chart the virus in Cyprus.
A random test was carried out in Paphos earlier this month, organised by the government and local authorities after the town showed a higher proportion of positive cases in order to determine the extent of community infection. Only four of the 707 tests were positive.
The government has also decided to have 20,000 private and public sector employees tested and these are still ongoing.
