Fifteen new coronavirus cases were announced on Wednesday bringing the total of confirmed cases since the pandemic began to 1,195.
Seven of the new cases are contacts of people who already tested positive to the virus. One of these seven people got tested privately.
According to the latest data by the health ministry, released on Wednesday afternoon, 70.6 per cent of cases detected between July 20 and August 3 are local. Of the 119 cases during this period, only 27 concern people who tested positive at the ports of entry or had recent travel history, whereas 84 are local cases. Eight more cases are under investigation to determine how they got infected.
Of the 27 people with travel history, 26 are Cypriots or permanent residents, the ministry said, pointing out that only one person was a foreign national arriving in Cyprus as tourist. Nine of the 27 cases were traced during tests at the ports of entry to the country.
“From the official data recorded to date, it is clear that the outbreak in cases observed in recent weeks is mainly due to the spread of the coronavirus among people with no travel history,” the health ministry said. “In other words, they are domestic infections, although some of the transmission chains that have been identified seem to have originated from people with a travel history.”
It said that the resumption of flights to and from Cyprus, as in the rest of the world, has led to the reappearance of ‘imported’ cases but that the country has been implementing since the beginning, “the strictest measures in relation to the rest of the EU, but also the world in general.”
It said that Austria and Germany are now following Cyprus’ example as regards mandatory coronavirus checks to people arriving from category B and C countries since it contributed to the restriction of ‘imported’ cases.
Of the rest of the 15 new cases reported on Wednesday two are migrants staying at Pournara, and who were taken to Eden Resort Rehabilitation Centre in Tersefanou that hosts people with coronavirus.
A Cypriot woman who arrived from Amsterdam on Tuesday was found positive after being tested at the airport upon her arrival.
Another Cypriot woman who arrived from Greece on July 29, got tested privately after having symptoms. One person who was about to travel abroad was found positive after getting tested privately.
One person was referred for testing by their GP after presenting symptoms.
Two people were found positive also after testing privately; one because they had symptoms and the other because they had been asked to get tested by the company they were about to start working for.
Four people are being treated at the Famagusta general hospital. Their condition is good, the ministry said.
