Confirmed coronavirus cases rise to seven

Cyprus recorded a new confirmed case of coronavirus on Thursday, involving a person who had recently returned from the UK.

The Health Ministry was alerted by the Institute of Neurology and Genetics that a blood sample emerged positive for the virus, raising confirmed cases to seven in the south, while the north has not reported any additional cases after a 65-year-old German tourist tested positive earlier this week.

The new case involves a person who had recently returned from the UK, and who had called the Ministry hotline on Wednesday to report that they were experiencing symptoms similar to coronavirus.

Thursday’s confirmed coronavirus carrier was placed in self-isolation, while contact tracing efforts have already been launched.

The Health Ministry re-issued a desperate call to the public to avoid using the 1420 hotline unless they are experiencing concerning symptoms, and not for general informational purposes.

The seventh confirmed case recorded in the island's southern territories came after four people tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, piling onto the island's first two cases that emerged on Monday.

Passenger on Amsterdam-Larnaca flight quarantined in Nicosia hospital

A Dutch national that had flown in from Amsterdam at around noon on Thursday was quarantined in a specialized area at Larnaca airport after thermal cameras showed the passenger had a high fever.

The aircraft had landed at Larnaca airport at around 12:25, and carried 118 passengers.

The passenger that raised suspicions of coronavirus was transferred to the Nicosia General hospital via ambulance.

The remaining passengers of the aircraft were also preventatively checked by airport medical staff and instructed remain in self-isolation for 14 days.

Limassol hospital treating six suspected coronavirus cases

Six suspected coronavirus carriers were held quarantined on the fifth floor of the Limassol General Hospital on Thursday, awaiting results from samples sent for tests.

According to the Executive Director of the state health services for the Limassol and Paphos districts, Christos Nicolaou, the public has followed instructions to restrict visitations to patients of the Limassol General Hospital, which resumed operations on Thursday after a day in lockdown.