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Update – 11/06/2020

  • The health minstry announced one new case of coronavirus on Thursday as a result of 2,518 tests. The confirmed case has a history of travel, the ministry said. The total number of cases now stands at 975.
  • Ignoring health measures could damage the positive epidemiological outlook in Cyprus, an expert warned on Thursday, lambasting the “careless behaviour” of individuals and businesses seen over the long weekend. Member of the advisory committee on coronavirus and Professor of Microbiology/Molecular Virology at the University of Nicosia Medical School, Petros Karayiannis, called on people to be alert and continue taking all required protection measures against Covid-19. He was commenting on the overcrowding during the long weekend at clubs in coastal areas. “We must not relax to a point where we will undermine everything we have achieved so far,” Karayiannis told the Cyprus News Agency. On the fact that some people who should be in quarantine do not comply, Karayiannis said this was irresponsible since such people seem to not be aware of the extent to which they endanger public health. “I find it outrageous, after so much effort and so much expense and inconvenience, businesses that haven’t worked for so long, that some people behave like everything is okay,” he said.
  • The majority of Limassol’s hotels will reopen in July, president of Limassol hoteliers association Charis Theocharous has told CNA. Theocharous said that only 4 or 5 hotels in the city have reopened on June 1 while the managements of most of them have said they will reopen in July. Uncertainty persists, however, he noted, as everyone is anticipating decisions for financial support on the basis of employment subsidies. “The most important thing is support measures for workers with a plan until at least October,” he said, adding that “Limassol hoteliers want their hotels to open but there need to be certain prerequisites.” The situation becomes more challenging, he said, after neighbouring Israel was ‘demoted’ to Group B of countries whose citizens can travel to Cyprus. Uncertainty remains, he added, for the big markets of UK and Russia “that comprise 55% – 60% of our business.”
  • Only ten hotels are expected to reopen by the end of June in the Paphos district, head of the Paphos Hotels Association Thanos Michailides said on Thursday, voicing the association’s concerns regarding the situation after the coronavirus pandemic. So far, three hotels have opened, Michaelides said. Everything will depend on the flights arriving at Paphos airport, he added. On June 21 two flights are expected, from Thessaloniki and from Israel. These are the first confirmed flights to Paphos though the airport reopened on June 9.
  • The number of building permits issued in Cyprus fell by 23.9% in March this year on an annual basis, data released by the Cyprus Statistical Service, on Wednesday, show. In particular, according the the Statistical Service in March 2020, the month during which COVID-19 containment measures were introduced in Cyprus, the number of building permits authorised by municipal authorities and district administration offices stood at 397, recording a drop of 23.9% compared to March 2019. The total value of these permits reached €139.8 million and the total area 135.7 thousand square metres. These building permits provide for the construction of 524 household units. During the period January – March 2020, 1,526 building permits were issued compared to 1,591 in the the first three months of the previous year. The total value of these permits increased by 4.6% and the total area by 5.7%. Τhe number of household units recorded an increase of 9.3%. Building permits constitute a leading indicator of future activity in the construction sector, CyStat says.
  • After some initial reticence from customers, the two main malls in the capital, the Nicosia Mall and the Mall of Cyprus, are now reporting encouraging and growing numbers in terms of visitors. Malls in Cyprus reopened their doors to the public on Tuesday and despite all the safety measures in place and the expected worries potential shoppers might experience while visiting a crowded place, the management of the two malls said on Thursday they were happy with the response.

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