No new Covid-19 cases were detected on Saturday the health ministry announced, with the number of total confirmed cases remaining at 980. In total 1,613 tests were carried out. Until Saturday afternoon, two patients were on ventilators at the Nicosia general hospital’s intensive care unit. Two patients are being treated at the Famagusta hospital.
Gyms, casinos and other recreational activities resumed on Saturday around three months after the lockdown was imposed. Casinos, dance and martial arts schools, gyms, theme parks and luna parks are now allowed to reopen as part of relaxation of measures against the spread of Covid-19. Gyms will operate at half of their capacity and only with reservations. Changing rooms and shower areas must remain closed. As regards other types of sports, the health ministry’s protocol stipulates that, until June 28, there can be no contact between two athletes in indoor spaces such as punching in martial arts, or shoulder to shoulder contact in claiming the ball between rival teams in futsal games. People in both vulnerable groups – A and B – who have been working from home since the pandemic outbreak are also required to return to their workplaces from Saturday. This follows a cabinet decision last week abolishing special arrangements concerning people in vulnerable groups, both group A and B. Theatres and cinemas will most probably be able to open at the beginning of August whereas festivals, concerts, christening and wedding receptions will be allowed from September 1.
The recreation centres’ association (Pasika) on Saturday described as unfair this week’s tightening of the operation regulations for bars and restaurants arguing that the majority was being punished for the disobedience of a small minority. Head of Pasika, Fanos Leventis, told Cyprus News Agency that it was unfair to punish everyone for the failure by some to follow the rules. “For the violations of the very few, the whole industry is being unfairly punished,” he said. He was referring to the decision this week by the health ministry to tighten regulations for the operation of bars and restaurants by setting a new maximum of 75 persons indoors and 150 outdoors.
Police on Saturday said seven business managers and employees were booked during checks the previous night on measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. In total 479 checks were carried out. A police representative told the Cyprus News Agency that three reports were made in Paphos concerning a tavern that did not put up the necessary signs, a bar which allowed more people indoors than the permitted number and a bar where an employee was spotted not wearing a protective mask and gloves. In the Famagusta district the owner and an employee of a coffee shop were booked for not wearing masks. Two bars were reported in Larnaca for serving more customers outdoors than the permitted number. The police officer recalled that as per the latest decree of the health ministry, regardless of the size of a business, the maximum number of people allowed is 75 indoors and 150 outdoors. In Paphos, five businesses were booked for other violations such as noise pollution, operating without licence to sell alcohol or a music licence. Police in Paphos also booked 67 drivers over traffic violations and seized three cars.
Eighty five point nine percent of covid patients, 816 in total have made a full recovery and most of the new cases in the past week have been repatriations, according to the latest infographics over a period of seven days ending on June 11. 15 thousand six hundred tests have taken place per 100 thousand people, with 32 patients being treated in intensive care wards. 18 patients have died from covid, while a further 7 who contracted the virus, lost their lives from underlying illnesses.
