Cyprus Mail 13 August 2020 - by Jean Christou
Police on Thursday were trying to determine whether any offences have been committed by a woman who broke quarantine in Larnaca and apparently started a Covid cluster of at least 30 people.
The woman had returned from the USA and had to self-quarantine for two weeks to make sure she did not have the virus.
Officers were reportedly taking statements from people with whom she had come into contact but have not contracted the virus.
They are trying to determine whether they knew she had recently returned from abroad and was meant to be in quarantine.
She is one of several known cases who broke quarantine and later turned out to be positive, spreading the virus in the process.
There have been numerous cases of people who arrived from so-called category C countries – which requires two weeks in quarantine – who tested negative upon arrival but were later found positive.
This forced health authorities to issue a decree mandating a second test 48 hours before the quarantine expired.
Health authorities are also deeply concerned by the fact that most recent infections concerned youths who fail to observe the necessary measures.
Reports said in one case an individual, who later tested positive, came into contact with 65 people while a second individual came into close contact with some 20 colleagues in their workplace.
On Wednesday, authorities said they were trying to trace the participants of a beach party, which has led to a cluster that so far includes several cases. Around 30 people had attended the party.