Meanwhile another possible Covid-19 case had authorities on high alert as a 28-year-old man showed signs of a fever and other Covid-19 related symptoms on a flight from Britain. He and 148 passengers and five crew members were quarantined at old Larnaca airport after landing.

The new cases were announced just hours before the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially labelled the coronavirus a pandemic on Wednesday evening.

In an attempt to stem the spread of the virus, the education ministry said all schools will be closed from Friday until March 20.

A taxi driver is among one of the four new confirmed cases, according to CyBC. The nature of his job will make contact tracing incredibly difficult said Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou.

Two people who arrived from the UK at Larnaca airport on Tuesday night were checked and found to have a fever.

The other case had been in quarantine at Limassol hospital after contacting the authorities. The fourth was in self-isolation at home. All four are reportedly Greek Cypriots and concern three men and one woman.

Authorities have already started the process of tracing their contacts, as well as the first two cases which were confirmed on Monday night.

The four new confirmed cases will be transferred to Famagusta general hospital which has been designated as the referring hospital.

The gynaecological and paediatric departments have already been cleared as they are in a separate wing and it will be staffed with specialists.

The hospital currently has the capability to care for 21 Covid-19 infected patients, CyBC reported on Wednesday evening.

If the situation becomes more severe the entire hospital will be assigned for Covid-19 cases and 120 beds will be made available.

“The hospital will continue to provide excellent care for all patients,” administrative Okypy director of Larnaca and Famagusta of Giorgos Karotsakis told CyBC.

He highlighted that no patients or nearby residents are in any danger. Residents, however, have expressed unease at the hospital becoming the referral centre for Covid-19 patients and have sent a complaint to the minister of health.

Meanwhile authorities were on high alert after a 28-year-old man showed signs of a fever and other Covid-19 related symptoms on a flight from Gatwick airport in England.

It is reported that the Greek Cypriot was wandering around the plane and appeared to have a high fever.

He was taken to the clinic at Larnaca airport, and from there was transported to Nicosia general hospital for tests. He may be taken to Famagusta general hospital should the need arise.

Experts were sent to fumigate the plane after passengers and crew members exited the premises.

Passengers and crew members were initially quarantined at the old Larnaca airport, but after medical checks – which showed them all to be negative – they have been asked to self-isolate for 14 days.

President of the school of molecular virology Christina Christodoulou said that over 250 tests were carried out throughout the day, and a further 80-100 are expected to take place.

Christodoulou said it was possible for some of those tested not to exhibit any clinical symptoms and for the test to be negative. If they have symptoms later on, especially fever, they must repeat the test, she said.

Christodoulou said the authorities will carry out follow-up tests on people who came into direct contact with one of Cyprus’ first two cases confirmed on Monday, a 64-year-old cardiologist from Nicosia general hospital who also picked up the virus in the UK and went back to work on his return.

All people considered to be part of vulnerable groups or worked in the doctor’s immediate environment, will be retested.

The education ministry extended its school closure ban on Wednesday to include all schools and colleges. They will be closed from Friday until 20 March.

The education ministry reiterated that the measures are purely precautionary as there has not been a confirmed case linked to the education sector.

Parents are being given warning ahead of time (one school day) so that they can plan accordingly.

“All other education related programmes from the ministry are also being postponed, day and night, throughout private schools and public schools,” the announcement read.

The lost teaching period will be made up during the holidays.

The increased measures come as schools in the Nicosia district were already closed until Friday, March 13.

“Despite the small number of cases up until now in Cyprus, the measures we have taken now are much stricter than the recommendations of from the WHO and ECDC,” Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said in a written statement on Wednesday night.

“Stricter measures in the future cannot be ruled out, taking into consideration the WHO’s labelling Covid-19 a pandemic,” he said. “These measures are taken and are aimed solely at limiting, as far as possible, the potential spread in our country.”

In the health sector, hospitals have been rushing to prepare their facilities to manage future cases.

Nicosia and Limassol general hospital operations will be suspended for a further 48 hours, medical association (CyMA) spokesman Charalambos Charilaou told CyBC radio on Wednesday. A&E services will continue.

He said that the 33 nurses and five doctors that work at the Nicosia hospital’s cardiology department, who were tested negative for Covid-19, are now in self-isolation. He added that all areas in which the doctor who tested positive for coronavirus has been at the Nicosia general hospital have been disinfected.

“From the beginning, we acted immediately,” Charilaou told the Cyprus News Agency.

He added that they traced all persons who had come in close contact with the doctor and took samples.

Patients and nurses, however, cite problems from the government’s arrangements.

State nurses, members of civil servants’ union Pasydy said on Wednesday that due to that around 50 nurses working at the Nicosia general hospital had to self-isolate makes things difficult as regards the hospital’s operation.

The head of Pasydy’s nurses branch, Prodromos Argyrides said the constant reshuffling of nurses to fill in for their colleagues who are indispensable, creates several problems including understaffing.

Patients too expressed concerns over the cancellation of appointments and surgeries, calling for a rescheduling the soonest possible.

Warnings issued over dangerously low levels of donated blood and calls for donors to engage, the health ministry’s blood centre said on Wednesday evening

“Due to the ongoing environment of tension and unease, surrounding the coronavirus cases, there has been a great reduction island-wide of blood donations,” the blood centre said.

Source: Cyprus Mail