The Health Ministry has announced a two-week ban on flights from 28 countries, including Britain and Greece effective from 3 am on March 21, and relaxed the medical certificate requirement for Cypriots stranded abroad.
The decree requiring the coronovirus free certificate test remains in force until 3 am on March 21, but exceptions will be made to people who had travelled abroad for a few days or for medical or professional reasons. The latter would need to obtain a special Confirmation from Cypriot diplomatic missions abroad to be allowed back into the country after presenting the required proof.
The latest stepping up of measures against the spread of coronavirus came after the Republic of Cyprus announced another three coronavirus cases raising its total to 49. Moreover, 13 cases were confirmed in northern Cyprus late on Tuesday night bringing the total in the occupied areas to 20.
Meanwhile, 80 people who arrived on flights at Larnaca and Paphos airports earlier in the week, most from the UK, and had been quarantined in Platres and Troodos have been transferred to hotels. This came after complaints yesterday from the people quarantined about poor facilities and lack of essentials like soap.
Authorities in the occupied areas have rented a hotel in Kyrenia to quarantine students from the UK they are flying back on Friday via the illegal Nicosia airport, while they have also postponed the election for a Turkish Cypriot leader for six months.
The British Bases said they are aligned with the measures enforced by the Republic of Cyprus.
On Church news, the Archbishop has cracked church doors open to a small number of people, only two days after calling on the faithful not to go to church until April 10.
Good news for our pockets as the Health Ministry placed on Tuesday a ceiling to crisis-related necessities, namely sanitisers, masks and thermometers, following complaints from the public on price gouging.
Buses and shuttle services can now only carry 30% of their passenger capacity, a ban on the operation of car workshops was revoked hours after it was enforced, and the police said that they have booked no-one yesterday as its checks found that businesses and the public are complying with the government’s instructions.
Meanwhile, the Animal Party said that strays are going hungry partly due to the closure of businesses that fed them, and the nurses association raised the alarm over lack of coordination between health authorities and spoke of equipment and staff shortages in hospitals.
