Those who are found to be positive for the virus should, according to the current instructions, immediately put themselves in self-isolation and inform, among other things, close contacts, employer, school, etc., the Ministry of Health emphasizes in a statement on case management COVID-19 and their close contacts.
Positive incident management
Upon the announcement of the positive result after rapid antigen test or PCR test (molecular test), the positive person in the virus should be immediately placed in self-isolation, to inform the Personal Physician, to inform his close contacts, the employer, the school , the camp, etc. and to leave the self-restraint only after the days provided by the release protocol and after receiving the release sms, it is emphasized.
It is forbidden to travel by any means of public transport (bus, taxi, plane and ship) for reasons of dispersal prevention. Positive incidents that have a planned trip are not allowed to take place before their official release by their Personal Doctor or the release team of the Ministry of Health.
For citizens or tourists staying in hotels and for people who can not observe the isolation in their home there is a provision of free state quarantine and their transfer by means provided by the Ministry of Health. If they do not wish to be accommodated in the state quarantine, these individuals can choose to rent a private accommodation (apartment, house, villa) at their own expense and be transported by private vehicle to spend their self-restraint period there, after consultation with the Unit for Epidemiological Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases (MEE & ELN), but for no reason can they continue to stay in a hotel.
It should be noted that the results from the sampling points of the rapid test are notified to MEE & ELN after the completion of the tests and within 24 hours the people with a positive result receive a text message (sms) with the Instructions for self-isolation for confirmed COVID19 cases on the mobile phone declared during their examination. The HIV-positive person should follow the self-isolation instructions he or she receives. In case the person is a minor, the guardian's mobile phone should be declared and not the child's.
In the same sms, the positive incident receives passwords and a link to confirm his details, declare his contacts and the Doctor's Staff so that he can monitor and release him and has the ability to issue the necessary certificates of release when its quarantine is completed.
The social and family contacts of the case are declared immediately through the electronic platform, after they are declared from the positive case and then they receive self-restraint instructions and their sampling is planned by the coordination of the Public Health Clinics.
In the instructions received by the positive incident there is a relevant table where the case can declare additional close contacts after completing the online form and send them by email to contacttracing@moh.gov.cy.
The Personal Physician is responsible for monitoring the health of his patients / beneficiaries and the release of confirmed cases, according to the release protocol and not earlier than 10 days from the diagnosis or the onset of symptoms. Individuals who do not have a Personal Doctor are released by the Release Team of MEE & ELN. Upon release, all cases receive a text message indicating the release date and can be used for Safe Pass purposes. At the same time as their release (10 days after the positive result), people who were positive for the coronavirus can issue a European Digital Recovery Certificate to travel within the European Union through the portal https://www.eudcc.gov.cy/ .
Sick leave is given by the Personal Physician.
All the data collected by MEE & ELN is used exclusively to identify the source of infection of the positive case, to locate its contacts and to understand the behavior of the virus.
For general information, positive cases can call 1474 (Monday to Sunday 08: 00-20: 00), while for a report of worsening symptoms, medical assessment or need to be transported to a hospital can call 1420 24 hours a day.
If a person has been diagnosed positive for coronavirus and has not received a written message with instructions within 24 hours they should contact the laboratory or the individual who tested them and make sure that their positive result has been declared and that the contact details they maintain the lab is correct (eg wrong phone number).
It is understood that if the positive results are not declared by the laboratory or the person who performed the examination at the Ministry of Health, the positive incident will not be able to receive the necessary instructions, to monitor the course of his health, to declare his contacts, but also to receive all the supporting documents he is entitled to upon his release (eg SafePass, EU Digital Covid Certificate).
For release issues, positive cases can be contacted by the Release Team at covidfollowup@moh.gov.cy or at 22605306.
Cases with a positive coronavirus test, who have completed their vaccination or have recovered before 6 months, follow the procedure normally and are not exempt from self-limitation.
Antibody tests and self-test results are not acceptable positive incident diagnostic methodologies.
Managing close case contacts
Close contacts are defined by specific criteria according to the following: A person living with a confirmed case, a person who had direct physical contact with a confirmed case (eg handshake), a person who had unprotected contact with confirmed infectious secretions (e.g. x. saliva), a person who had face-to-face contact with a confirmed case at a distance of less than 2 meters and lasting more than 15 minutes, a person who was indoors (eg classroom, cinema, hospital waiting areas ,, etc. with a confirmed case for more than 15 minutes and at a distance of less than 2 meters.
Also, a health professional or other person providing health care in a case COVID-19 or laboratory personnel handling a confirmed case sample without the use of appropriate protective equipment or if there is a breach in its integrity; all passengers sitting in the same compartment of the airplane and even all passengers on the flight can be considered as close contacts, if due to severe symptoms of the patient and movements of the patient in the aircraft entails more extensive exposure)
Upon notification of the positive incident, the case is asked to state the contacts he had two days before the onset of symptoms or two days before the test (in case of asymptomatic cases). This data is collected and managed in accordance with the principles of confidentiality and is used only for the purpose of tracking and ensuring Public Health after the approval of the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection.
The close contacts undergo a free molecular examination (PCR test) after making an appointment at the Public Health Clinics, which is scheduled as soon as possible and at the same time receive instructions for close contacts via text message for self-restraint. Close contacts are subject to mandatory self-limitation for 14 days from their last contact with the case (contact day is defined as day zero).
Close contacts can be released earlier ONLY by negative PCR on day 7 from any approved laboratory at own expense.
Release on day 7 with negative PCR is valid only for close contacts and not for positive cases.
If close contacts are not isolated from the positive case (eg mothers with children, or dependents with their caregivers), then the day of onset of isolation is extended according to the day of release of the positive case, after last day before release the positive person is potentially contagious.
Close contacts are not released by their Personal Physician, but voluntarily at the end of the days described above. Individuals who have been declared as close contacts are entitled to a special leave certificate for Public Health reasons who can submit it to their work and be reimbursed by the Department of Social Security through an application. In order to receive this certificate, one must have declared the confirmed case as a close contact. If it has not been declared as close contact, it is not entitled to the special license certificate.
Employers or health and safety officials or local infection committees, or local infection committees, the contacts of the cases in the Tracing Team of the Ministry of Health at contacttracing@moh.com.cy. For the public educational institutions, the local committees in each school are responsible for locating and sending the close contacts as defined by a relevant circular of the Ministry of Education.
It is understood that close contacts are not allowed to visit the rapid test sampling points, as there is a risk of the virus spreading to other attendees and they will have to wait for information from the Public Health Clinics to schedule an appointment.
Exception to self-limitation as close contacts are those who have been diagnosed as positive by PCR or rapid antigen test within 180 days, or who have completed their vaccination schedule with any vaccine recognized by the Republic of Cyprus. It is understood that for single-dose vaccines a period of 14 days must elapse after the dose.
However, all close contacts (including those excluding self-restraint) should be reported from the case via the appropriate route, in order to schedule their sampling by the Coordination of Public Health Clinics.
Any citizen develops symptoms compatible with the disease COVID-19 (cough, fever, shortness of breath, sudden onset of anemia, taste or tastelessness, headache, myalgias, chills, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea) should contact their Personal Physician for PCR assessment and scheduling if deemed necessary. No citizen should visit his / her work or student / teacher at his / her school with active symptoms even if he / she has a negative coronavirus rapid antigen test.
For issues related to the tracking process, instructions on how to declare close contacts, who are considered close contacts, when self-restraint is lifted, you can contact by phone at: 22771923, 22514264, 22514258, 22514259 or email contacttracing2@moh.gov .cy (Monday to Sunday 08: 00-00: 00).
For instructions on completing the online form, if the positive incident received the link and password, you can contact by phone at: 22514241, 22514242, 22514243, 22514244 and 22514248 (Monday to Sunday 08: 00-00: 00).
The obligations of the employers are in the current protocol https://www.pio.gov.cy/coronavirus/pdf/erg20.pdf and they can contact the health services of the Ministry of Health for clarifications.
For complaints of violations related to the self-limitation of cases or close contacts, citizens can call 1460, 22606803, 22606789.