Woman who refused test charged with assault

A traveler was charged with assault over the weekend after an airport official said she was attacked by a passenger who refused to take a coronavirus test.

According to police, a female passenger who arrived at Paphos International Airport on Saturday refused to undergo random testing for the coronavirus.

The woman, described as a Greek Cypriot traveling with husband and child, protested her selection for a randomized test and attacked an airport official, according to a female officer who filed a complaint with police.

Reports said the passenger put up strong resistance ahead of the test, with the officer sustaining injuries including bruises and cuts on her arm during the incident.

Police confirmed with Knews that the passenger, who arrived on a flight from the Greek island of Mykonos, was asked to take a test based on a random selection formula applied on arriving passengers after entering the terminal.

The woman was not arrested but officers pressed assault charges against her before the family headed back to their home in Limassol. Officials did not say whether the passenger ended up getting tested for the coronavirus before walking away.