Two new cases of coronavirus were announced on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 916. Both cases were found after individuals got tested through private initiatives. The figures are a result of 2,248 tests carried out nationwide. No more cases were reported from the testing carried out in schools since they reopened for final year lyceum students last Monday.
All four cases announced on Saturday were found in schools, two were students at the Aradippou lyceum, one among staff in a nursery in Paphos and one from non-teaching staff at a lyceum in the Nicosia area. The two lyceums have been disinfected according to the protocols issued by the ministry of health, the ministry of education said. As Aradippou previously had a cluster of cases, and after consultation with the ministry of health, the ministry of education has decided all students of all classes in the town will be tested.
As of 3pm on Sunday, four people were at the Famagusta reference hospital, one of which was receiving increased care. Three patients are intubated at the Nicosia general hospital ICU. Their condition is critical but stable, the health ministry said. All hospitals but the reference hospital have one confirmed case in a separate wing.
Limassol police carried out a total of 378 checks regarding compliance with decrees to prevent the spread of coronavirus from 6 am to noon on Sunday, with special focus on the beaches. A total of 17 people were booked, 10 of whom were sunbathing on the beach. The decree specifies that only swimming is permitted. Moreover, a priest was booked because there were more than 10 people in his church. As from May 4, under new measures relaxing the lockdown, members of the public can go to places of worship to pray but there must not be more than 10 people inside at any given momen
Seeking respite from Sunday’s sizzling heat at the beach turned out to be an expensive experience for 49 beachgoers found by police to be breaking a decree that stipulates that only swimming is allowed. Overall, police carried out 4860 checks on pedestrians and booked 93 — 49 of them at the beach for sunbathing or playing rackets. Of the 49 beachgoers issued out of court fines, five were in Paphos, 37 in Limassol, three in Larnaca, and four in Famagusta.
Sample taking will start on Monday as part of a Health Ministry programme to test 10,000 employees of businesses due to reopen under phase two of the lockdown exit strategy for coronavirus. Phase two is scheduled to start on May 21. The tests are for 7500 employees in the catering sector and 2500 working in hair dressing salons, barber shops, beauty centres and tattoo centres. Sample testing will start on May 18 and will be completed on June 5. A similar scheme has been approved for schools while another one is underway for the retail and construction sectors which went back to work on May 4. They follow the suggestion of the team of scientific advisors on the coronavirus outbreak to monitor businesses that reopen.
