North tries to keep tight grip on virus

Reports in the north painted a bleak picture in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus, with an infected bus driver saying he was denied a test for the bug after transporting tourists to their quarantine location.

According to Turkish Cypriot media in the north, two new confirmed cases were announced on Thursday including a bus driver who transported German tourists at the time when they were suspected of having the COVID-19 disease.

A total of 31 German nationals were quarantined in early March after a 65-year-old female tourist in the group tested positive for the coronavirus. While 29 were released from quarantine and flew out of Cyprus, two remained hospitalized with Turkish Cypriot officials saying their health had deteriorated.

One of the drivers, who was involved at least in the initial transportation of the German tourists, ended up testing positive this week, with local media saying he was accusing authorities for not testing the drivers.

“We carried out our public duty and we were worried,” the driver said, adding that he went to the public hospital in Nicosia to ask for a test but he was denied.

“We will notify you later, they said. Is it my fault?” the driver was quoted as saying in local media.

Police in the north were also called to monitor movements in three villages in the Karpas peninsula, with conflicting reports emerging initially on whether the local communities were quarantined or under tough movement restrictions.

Some reports said entering and exiting three villages, including the infected bus driver’s local community was being monitored by Turkish Cypriot police but officials said there was no quarantine.

A local official said the bus driver’s village of Agia Triada/Sipahi, along with Yialousa/Yeni Erenkoy and Rizokarpaso/Dipkarpaz, were all affected by the measures.