Cabinet meeting cancelled after minister tests positive for virus

A scheduled Thursday morning meeting of the cabinet was cancelled after Agriculture Minister Kostas Kadis tested positive for coronavirus, with the remaining members of the cabinet instructed to self-isolate as a precaution.

“I was diagnosed as positive for COVID-19 tonight through the contact tracing process. I am in isolation and will be working from home. I hope that we will soon beat this pandemic,” Kadis tweeted on Wednesday evening.

All members of the cabinet will be tested for coronavirus. Interior Minister Nicos Nouris, and Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos, who were close contacts of Kadis, also entered self-isolation, as announced by both on Twitter.

Alarms also went off at the presidential palace, where five members of staff also tested positive for the virus on Thursday, involving members of the diplomatic office and secretarial staff.

Health authorities carried out diagnostic tests on all presidential palace employees, as well as on the Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, who tested negative.