Press Releases

Taking into consideration the availability of consumables and the importance of carrying out more laboratory tests to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and following more than 14,000 tests already carried out on persons with an epidemiological history but also heeding the wish of the people for more tests, the Council of Ministers has decided the following:

1. To carry out a pancyprian epidemiological examination on a random sample of 800 persons with a view to evaluate the percentage of persons throughout Cyprus with an active infection but also to compare the percentage of the active infection among different age groups and different areas throughout the country.
2. To carry out 20,000 laboratory tests, within 20 days, in cooperation with private laboratories, on a pancyprian scale, which meet the criteria as these are set out by the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health will subsidise these laboratory tests on persons of the public and the private sector, who, on the basis of a Decree, continue to work and, consequently, are more likely to be exposed to the virus.

The above decisions are taken in the framework of action promoted by the Government to increase laboratory tests among the people of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus. These tests are over and above laboratory tests which are currently being carried out, in the framework of targeted tracking down and investigating suspicious cases, a programme which continues uninterrupted.

The results of this research, as well as the results from monitoring Pafos and Aradippou areas, will help significantly the country in drafting existing and future measures which the Government may have to take.

Additional details about both schemes by the Ministry of Health will be announced at a later stage.

( DC )