New measures as clusters appear to be growing

Another dozen of new cases of the coronavirus included secondary contacts such as a person who got infected at a party earlier this month, with government agencies coordinating further measures by week’s end.

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According to the health ministry, 12 new virus infections were announced Monday by state authorities out of 3558 tests, bringing the total of known confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Republic of Cyprus to 1351 since early March.

One case was described as a secondary contact linked to a partygoer who got infected with the bug earlier this month, in violation of health protocols.

Local media said the partygoer was among 14 infections in just one cluster, while the total number of cases linked to particular clusters remained unknown.

Government officials are expected to announce new measures by week’s end, according to local media, following a number of internal meetings in various ministries in an effort to coordinate action.

Health experts said non-compliance with rules and guidelines could become more evident this week, after many protocol violations were recorded throughout the island last week and over the weekend.

There were seven other cases detected through random checks, officials said, with cases emerging in Limassol, two in Nicosia, two in Larnaca, and one in Famagusta district.

One other case involved a person who came in contact with a previously known carrier who traveled to Athens, while another case also emerged through the contact tracing method.

Two other passengers were detected upon landing in the Republic of Cyprus. Local media said the two tourists arrived on Sunday for holidays on the island.

Additional possible measures expected to be announced in the coming days included new limits to customers in restaurants, new closing times for certain business establishments, as well as long term guidelines for the public that could last through January 2021.

New decisions regarding the operation of schools were also expected this week, with opinions divided over the degree of practical measures and additional protocols that could affect students in classrooms.