With the 20 declared in the Turkish occupied north, divided Cyprus now has a total of 87 Covid-19cases since the outbreak on March 9 but the daily rate of new cases is not steeply rising.

According to the latest information from the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, six of the new cases came into contact with a person that was confirmed with the virus recently (four of which were infected at Paphos General Hospital).

Three other people had recently returned from Bulgaria, Italy and the UK and were confined at home, before contacting the authorities once their symptoms started to emerge.

The Epidemiological Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health has begun tracking down the contacts of the nine cases and will proceed to take samples for tests.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Republic is now 67 (including three in the British Bases), some 37 of which had come into contact with previously confirmed cases.

The Ministry said that testing is based on protocols of the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) according to available scientific data and prioritizing actual needs.

The Health Ministry has also issued a decree that puts a price ceiling on face masks, thermometers and antiseptics to stop profiteering in a time of crisis.

Source: Financial Mirror