The number of confirmed cases in Cyprus has now reached 19, with 14 cases in the areas under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus and five cases in the non-government controlled areas. Two of the latest four cases in the Republic of Cyprus came from Athens and the other two came in contact with a confirmed case. All confirmed cases appear to be doing well in their health.
The Turkish Cypriot administration has announced that two more crossing points, this time by the Turkish Cypriot authorities, will be closed as a means to tackle the crisis. Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, who was not in agreement with the Turkish Cypriot coalition’s decision to close the crossing points, spoke on the phone with President Nicos Anastasiades and they agreed to enhance the work of the bi-communal technical committee on health. The other three crossing points that lead from the south to the north of the country will remain open but the public is urged to use them only if necessary.
Republic of Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades will make a public announcement on Friday at 20:30 and is expected to inform the public of new, strict measures on the tackling of the coronavirus spread and the financial response by the government as well as the provisions for employees. Rumours that the closure of supermarkets and other retail businesses forced President Anastasiades to reject the claims, noting that these rumours do not correspond to the truth. The measures are expected to include strict travel restrictions. At the same time, since four out of the 14 confirmed cases in the areas under the RoC effective control arrived from the United Kingdom (UK), the government has finally decided to place the UK in category two of travel restrictions, calling for all who arrive from the UK to be placed in self-isolation, from Saturday onwards. The greatest concern in the country lies on the very big number of students that study in the UK and in Greece who are due to be arriving in Cyprus in the coming weeks for the Easter holidays. Anastasiades’ announcement is also expected to touch on the issue.
Information on the epidemic is available on the Press and Information Office dedicated website www.pio.gov.cy/coronavirus.
