CORONAVIRUS - NEW MEASURES APPLY ACROSS THE ISLAND FROM 18 OCTOBER until 2 NOVEMBER

 Filenews 17 October 2020

The decision to extend the measures in force for the provinces of Limassol and Nicosia to all the provinces of Cyprus, announced the Minister of Health after the meeting held this morning at the Presidential, on the occasion of the dangerous spread of the crown virus in Cyprus. Especially for Limassol, it was decided that until the following Monday (October 26th), the dining areas will be open until 10:30 p.m., while a recommendation is made to restrict traffic until the morning.

In particular, the following measures are being implemented on a global basis:

1. Persons may be present at gatherings in homes and public gathering places, with the exception of dining areas, with a maximum of 10 persons per house/group, including minor children.
2. The services in churches, as well as religious ceremonies, are performed according to the guidelines of the Holy Archdiocese of Cyprus.
3. Matches may be held in sports facilities, in the context of sports leagues, without the presence of spectators, as long as the relevant protocols are complied with.
4. The maximum number of persons allowed to be served in the dining areas is set at 75 people indoors and 150 people outdoors. In any case, the measure for keeping a distance of 3 m2 for interiors and 2 m2 for outdoor spaces per person, regardless of the square meters of each premises, remains in force. For example, if a dining area has 400 m2 outdoors and based on the measure to maintain a distance of 2 m2 per person, it could serve up to 200 people, the number of customers may not exceed 150. If a premises has 300 m2 indoors and based on the measure to maintain a distance of 3 m2 per person, it could serve up to 100 people, the number of persons may not exceed 75. It is understood that in any case no more than 10 people per table are allowed to be booked.
5. Cocktail party and congratulations on weddings and christenings are forbidden. Only the physical presence at a meal or dinner is allowed, with a maximum attendance of 350 people.
6. Events such as conferences, workshops, assemblies, concerts, theatrical performances, dance or music performances, etc., may be organised in enclosed and open spaces, in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.
7. Closed and open cinemas, theatres and theatres with a occupancy of 50%of their capacity are allowed.
8. Beverage and food retailers (bakers, supermarkets, mini-markets, etc.) and pharmacies between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. serve only people who fall into vulnerable groups of the population.

The above measures, regulated by an Order of the Minister of Health to be adopted within the day, shall enter into force from tomorrow, 18 October 2020,and for a period of two weeks, i.e. until 2 November 2020 .

Especially for Limassol, a recommendation is made that citizens' traffic is restricted from 11:00 in the evening until 06:00 in the morning, when the dining areas will be legally closed from 1030pm, with effect until Monday 26 October.

To protect vulnerable groups, it was decided as served in retail areas such as supermarkets, from 8 to 10 a.m.

The meeting began at 10:30 today at the Presidential Palace, as over the past week the number of COVID-19 incidents has hit one negative record after another, culminating in the three-digit number announced on Thursday.

On Tuesday 83 cases were announced and 51 on Wednesday, 104 on Thursday  while yesterday Friday 94 new cases were announced.