AUTHORITIES CLEAN UP PEYIA SEA CAVES FROM OIL

in-cyprus 4 August 2020 - by Annie Charalambous

The Fisheries Department on Tuesday released a video showing an oil spill response plan at Peyia sea caves which the protected Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) uses to rest and to breed.

The plan – over a period of one year – took place in two stages to accommodate agreeable weather conditions, according to Marinos Ioannou who heads the Department. The spill was spotted a year ago.

Members of the Navy Service, wearing special uniforms,  had climbed down the caves and removed various materials where oil had settled. Such as sand, rock and pebbles.

“The main goal was to restore to the greatest degree possible the natural environment of the caves…It was an extremely difficult effort which was marked with success,” the Fisheries Department also said.

Monachus monachus is one of the most endangered mammals in the world and the only seal species in the Mediterranean. The total population is estimated at only 700.

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POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR POSSIBLE VIOLATORS OF COVID-19 QUARANTINE RULES

in-cyprus 4 August 2020 - by Maria Bitar

The Ministry of Health on Monday sent to police the names of four persons who do not respond to calls by health authorities trying to check whether they observe the island’s quarantine rules, Philenews reports.

The Ministry’s swift action followed an uproar over a woman who recently arrived in Cyprus from the US and instead of getting herself into quarantine she was out and about in coastal Larnaca and Limassol.

She has since been diagnosed with the virus, and fears are rising that she must have infected a lot of the people she came in contact with.

Minister of Justice Emily Giolitis on Monday said police will now be carrying out home searches on people who have arrived from category C countries or were defined as close contacts of confirmed cases.

On this specific case, reports to police have been filed and sent to the Minister who does not rule out taking out appropriate measures if the study of the data indicates so, and if a case is substantiated against the woman. The woman is currently under home surveillance.

In the meantime, over 3,500 checks were conducted by the police over the past three days to make sure corona virus measures are being complied with.

Police Deputy Spokesman Stelios Stylianou told Philenews there were 83 complaints against businesses mainly for non-use of a mask by their staff.

In two cases, the fines reached the amounts of €8,000 and €4,000.

At the same time, 121 citizens were reported for not wearing a mask.

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CYPRUS GETS 100 NEW POLICE OFFICERS AND FIRE FIGHTERS

in-cyprus 4 August 2020 - by Maria Bitar

A total of 100 new police officers and fire fighters were sworn in on Monday in an effort to strengthen the numbers of these two bodies, while 356 more positions remain open.

A long process of hiring new police officers and fire-fighters has ended considering that this started in 2019 and was suspended in March after the outbreak of the corona virus pandemic.

Candidates for the positions which also demand taking exams had demanded an end to the prolonged process.

Initially the open positions were 256 but because fewer candidates passed the interviews only 100 were eventually hired.

Only 114 candidates passed, initially, but only 105 accepted the position and five of them chose to withdraw the last minute when they were informed they would be hired for the Police Department and not for the Fire Department.

Twenty-five of the 100 have already been assigned to the Fire Department, however, at this time and without any training they cannot offer their services were needed.

It is noted that 34 candidates who were cut in one of the two psychometric tests objected to the ruling and the issue was discussed before the Parliament’s Legal Committee, a couple of weeks ago.

Chief of Police Stelios Papatheodorou has said that the procedure cannot be by-passed due to a clear ruling by the Attorney General’s Office.

Philenews has information that some of them have already applied for candidacy for the new positions that were announced, while some have taken legal action to appeal the proceedings.

 

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CORONAVIRUS - AUTHORITIES IDENTIFY NINE UNSAFE MASK BRANDS

Cyprus Mail 4 August 2020 - by Staff Reporter

Authorities on Tuesday released information on a number of brands of facemasks that are considered dangerous, nine in total.

The masks of Chinese origin do not meet current basic health and safety requirements, an announcement said. Photos of the boxes and brands to aid consumers in identifying the products in questions can be viewed at the link.

They are stamped with the EU safety symbol CE but have not been certified as protective equipment. “Their composition, structure and shape are not suitable,” the announcement said.

“As a result, an excessive amount of particles or microorganisms can pass through the mask, increasing the risk of infection. The products do not comply with the regulation on personal protective equipment.”

The labour inspection department is calling on the public to notify them if they spot the nine brands on the market

Tel: 22405604 or 22405663 or 22405603.

More information the products are registered on the RAPEX website.

http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/consumers_safety/safety_products/rapex/alerts/

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GERMANY ALREADY DEALING WITH SECOND CORONAVIRUS WAVE - DOCTORS' UNION

Cyprus Mail 4 August 2020 - Reuters News Service

Police officers stand next to demonstrators during a protest against the government's restrictions amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Berlin, Germany, August 1, 2020. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

Germany is already contending with a second wave of the coronavirus and risks squandering its early success by flouting social distancing rules, the head of the German doctors’ union said in a newspaper interview published on Tuesday.

The number of daily confirmed coronavirus cases has ticked up steadily in recent weeks, with health experts warning lax adherence to hygiene and distancing rules among some of the public is spreading the virus across communities.

“We are already in a second, shallow upswing,” Susanne Johna, president of Marburger Bund, which represents doctors in Germany, told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper.

She said there was a danger that a longing to return to normality and a suppression of containment measures would fritter away the success Germany had achieved so far, urging people to stick to social distancing and hygiene rules and wear masks.

Europe’s biggest economy has so far withstood the pandemic with far fewer deaths than some large neighbours like France and Italy, owing to widespread testing, a well-equipped healthcare system and good adherence to social distancing.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 879 to 211,281, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday. The reported death toll rose by eight to 9,156, the tally showed.

Johna said hospitals were prepared and would make intensive care beds available to COVID-19 patients on a staggered basis, while at the same time gradually reducing the number of planned admissions to normal wards.

According to the DIVI intensive care register there are almost 21,000 intensive care beds in Germany, of which some 12,200 are currently free. As of Monday, there were 270 COVID-19 patients in intensive care, of whom 130 were being ventilated.

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CORONAVIRUS - REVISED LIST OF COUNTRIES FOR TRAVEL TO CYPRUS - wef 6 August

Cyprus Mail 4 August 2020 - by Annette Chrysostomou

The health ministry announced three amendments to the list of countries from which Cyprus accepts visitors on Tuesday which mean changes in categories for Greece, Thailand and Morocco. The changes will take effect on Thursday.

Greece will move from category A to B, Thailand from category B to A and Morocco from B to C.

“The categorisation of countries, based on epidemiological risk assessment, is extremely dynamic and can change at any time, as the pandemic evolves and epidemiological data change,” the health ministry explained. “To this end, new data will be announced and the list of countries will be updated frequently.”

According to the latest update, category A, which includes countries deemed safer compared to the rest as regards their epidemiological outlook includes Austria, Germany,  Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Hungary, Poland , Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Georgia, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea and Thailand.

Passengers coming from these countries do not need to test for the coronavirus or self-isolate upon arrival.

In category B, in which are countries with potentially low risk but more precarious than category A are Belgium, France, Greece, Spain, Italy, Croatia, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City, San Marino, Australia, Rwanda, Tunisia, Uruguay, and China.

Passengers from category B countries are required to present a negative Covid-19 test certificate not older than 72 hours from a recognised laboratory.

Cypriots and their families, permanent residents and people covered by the Vienna Convention can take the test upon their arrival in Cyprus. The same applies for persons regardless of nationality, whose country of residence is not in a position to offer Covid-19 testing to those wishing to travel to the Republic of Cyprus (public or private sector). The last category is eligible for tests in Cyprus only after the Cypriot health ministry issues an announcement.

They have to pay for the cost of the test and should remain isolated until the result is announced.

Countries not listed above are in category C and are deemed at increased risk compared to the other countries.

Among them are Bulgaria, Portugal, Sweden, Luxembourg, Romania, Algeria, Serbia, Morocco and Montenegro.

Entry to Cyprus from category C countries is allowed only to Cypriot citizens permanently residing in the Republic of Cyprus and their family members, permanent residents, people allowed to enter Cyprus under the Vienna Convention and people with special permission. They have to take a test and will have to remain in self-isolation for 14 days whether the result of their Covid-19 test is positive or negative.

All passengers, regardless of the category of the country they are arriving from, are required to apply for CyprusFlightPass (https://cyprusflightpass.gov.cy/ ) within 24 hours of their departure and present this at the passport control when they arrive.

Any passenger may be asked to take a test upon arrival.

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NEW YORK IN TWO HOURS AND SYDNEY IN FIVE - VIRGIN GIVES FIRST LOOK AT SUPERSONIC JET PROJECT

Sky News 4 August 2020 

© Other The jet could reach the other side of the world in the space of a morning. Pic: Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic has revealed designs for a supersonic passenger plane capable of flying three times the speed of sound.

With a top speed of around 2,300mph (3,700kmh), it could fly from London to Sydney in just five hours - or to New York in less than two.

Virgin has teamed up with engine-maker Rolls-Royce to work on the concept, which is still in the early stages.

© Other The delta wing design is similar to the iconic shape of Concorde. Pic: Virgin Galactic

The delta-wing jet would cruise at above 60,000ft (18,300m), far higher than current passenger planes, but would only have room for nine to 19 passengers.

The project is separate from Virgin's bid to send customers to the edge of space to experience weightlessness - which has already completed a number of test flights using the SpaceshipTwo craft.

Supersonic passenger flights stopped when Concorde retired in October 2003 and no one has so far plugged the gap for ultra-fast air travel.

© Thomson Reuters Sir Richard Branson stands on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) ahead of Virgin Galactic (SPCE) trading in New York, U.S., October 28, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Virgin said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Rolls-Royce "to collaborate in designing and developing engine propulsion technology for high speed commercial aircraft" and has also worked with NASA on the concept.

The company said the Mach-3 jet would target existing long-distance commercial routes, taking off and landing normally at existing airports.

The next phase will look at things such as which materials to use, how to reduce noise and emissions, and how to keep the jet cool as it flies supersonically.

© Other Virgin's SpaceshipTwo is hoping to soon take passengers to the edge of space. Pic: Virgin Galactic

US aviation regulator the FAA has also agreed to help work on a certification framework for the plane.

Other companies are also targeting a new age of super-fast air travel.

They include aerospace giant Lockheed-Martin, and US start-up Boom Supersonic - which is set to reveal a scaled-down prototype this winter followed by test flights in 2021.

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UK CORONAVIRUS CASES EXPERIENCE HIGHEST DAILY INCREASE SINCE JUNE

The Independent 4 August 2020 - by Vincent Wood

© Provided by The Independent

The number of new coronavirus cases in the UK has risen by 938 across 24 hours – the highest daily increase in confirmed infections since late June, the government has confirmed.

The latest figures from the department of health and social care (DHSC) brought the total number of cases since the beginning of the UK’s outbreak to 305,623.

The daily increase in cases is the highest confirmed figure since 26 June, part of a gradual upward trend in infections since the bulk of lockdown measures were eased in early July.

The DHSC figures also updated the number of people to have died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK to 46,210 as of 5pm on Sunday – up by nine from the day before.

Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 56,400 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

It comes as the government admits the latest round of local lockdown rules have not yet been carried into law despite being brought into force four days prior.

Those living in areas of Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and east Lancashire have been the latest to see their ability to go about daily life curtailed, with a ban implemented to stop cross-household gatherings in homes or pubs.

However while guidance published on Friday stated that people from different households meeting in a private home or garden would risk a £100 fine, DHSC has confirmed it is yet to implement laws bringing the rules into force.

The department said it was trying to make the changes legally enforceable as soon as possible but insisted the rules still applied from 31 July. DHSC has declined to comment on what legal basis the rules were currently being enforced.

Meanwhile the mayor of London has hit out at the central government for not briefing him on alleged contingency plans to lockdown the entirety of the capital within the confines of the M25 motorway, which encircles the city.

First reported in The Sunday Times, the idea of using the orbital motorway as a barrier around the capital was allegedly floated in a “war game” session held by the prime minister last week.

In a letter sent to the PM from Sadiq Khan and the chair of London Councils, Peter John, the mayor said failing to include local authorities would lead to mistakes being made.

“It is with great surprise that we read in the Sunday papers that government held a critical exercise last week in which a major resurgence in Covid-19 infections in London was a central scenario,” the letter says.

“According to media reports, the plans included using the M25 as a quarantine ring – effectively sealing off the city.

“Our surprise is that such far-reaching contingency plans have been discussed and tested without the involvement or awareness of London’s government.

“This is clearly totally unacceptable and an affront to London and Londoners.”

Additional reporting by PA

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REGENERON SAYS ANTIBODY COCKTAIL PREVENTS AND TREATS COVID-19 IN ANIMALS

Reuters 4 August 2020 - by Michael Erman

© Reuters/Alkis Konstantinidis Scientist works on cells that produce antibodies against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in a university lab in Athens

By Michael Erman

(Reuters) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Monday that the COVID-19 antibody drug combination it is developing both prevented and treated the disease in rhesus macaques and hamsters, adding to hope that it might work for people.

The U.S. biotech company said in the animal study, which has not yet been peer reviewed, that the cocktail of two monoclonal antibodies was able to "almost completely block establishment of virus infection."

Regeneron said the cocktail was also able to minimize infection in a second study in which animals were infected with a much higher level of the virus. The prophylactic effect was greatly diminished with a lower dose of the drug, the company said.

It said the results matched or exceeded effects recently shown in animal studies of vaccine candidates.

Effective treatments and vaccines are seen as essential to halting a pandemic that has claimed more than 690,000 lives worldwide.

The infected animals treated with the antibodies cleared the virus faster than those given a placebo, the company said.

The lead researchers said the data suggests the therapy may offer clinical benefit in both prevention and treatment of COVID-19. They also said the animals did not show any signs of increased viral load or worsening of pathology after treatment, an important safety signal that suggests it will not worsen symptoms in humans.

The studies were conducted on a total of 36 rhesus macaques and 50 hamsters. Positive results in animals are no guarantee of success in humans.

Regeneron has already started late-stage clinical trials in humans to assess the antibody treatment's ability to prevent and treat COVID-19.

The company signed a $450 million contract with the U.S. government as part of its Operation Warp Speed program to provide the United States with the treatment if it succeeds.

Monoclonal antibodies are among the most widely used biotechnology medicines. Eli Lilly and Co and other drugmakers are testing similar treatments against COVID-19.

(Reporting by Michael Erman; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

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NUMBER OF UK CITIZENS EMIGRATING TO EU HAS RISEN BY 30% SINCE BREXIT VOTE

The Guardian 4 August 2020 -by Lisa O'Carroll, Brexit Correspondent

© Provided by The Guardian Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

The number of British nationals emigrating to other EU countries has risen by 30% since the Brexit referendum, with half making their decision to leave in the first three months after the vote, research has found.

Analysis of data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Eurostat shows that migration from Britain to EU states averaged 56,832 people a year in 2008-15, growing to 73,642 a year in 2016-18.

The study also shows a 500% increase in those who made the move and then took up citizenship in an EU state. Germany saw a 2,000% rise, with 31,600 Britons naturalising there since the referendum.

“These increases in numbers are of a magnitude that you would expect when a country is hit by a major economic or political crisis,” said Daniel Auer, co-author of the study by Oxford University in Berlin and the Berlin Social Science Center.

The building of the Stockholm immigration office (Photo by JOKER / Paul Eckenroth/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

According to interviews, half chose to leave the UK quickly. “Another important finding from the empirical evidence associated with Brexit is reduced levels of consideration and level-headedness in decision-making, with increases in levels of impulsiveness, spontaneity and corresponding risk-taking,” the researchers said.

While the withdrawal agreement signed in January enshrines the residency, work and social rights of EU citizens in the UK and Britons in the rest of the bloc, it failed to guarantee the free movement rights of British migrants, restricting future employment and residency prospects in other member states.

Co-author Daniel Tetlow said that “Brexit was by far the most dominant driver of migration decisions since 2016”. The jump in citizenship was “further evidence that an increasing number are making migration decisions to protect themselves from some of the most negative effects of Brexit on their lives”, the report said.

The key loss for British nationals is the freedom to move country within the EU or to work or offer services across a border. This does not apply to EU nationals in the UK who retain free movement rights beyond Brexit courtesy of their EU member state citizenship.

It means that unless British nationals take out citizenship in their host country, they can no longer work in or offer a service to another EU member state, impacting professions including accounting, law, architecture, translation and health.

The biggest jump in migration was to Spain, where an estimated 380,000 British nationals live. Registration has not been essential in the country so many have lived there without being included in official Spanish immigration data, with an average of just 2,300 a year registering as migrating to the country between 2008 and 2015. After the referendum, this jumped fivefold, with 21,250 registrations in the two years between 2016 and 2018.

The second most popular country for British nationals was France, which does not require registration of EU migrants. Between 2008 and 2015 the number of registrations was just over 500 a year. After the referendum this rose tenfold with 5,000 registrations over the following two years.

In Germany, 14,600 Britons had dual nationality in 2019 compared to 622 in 2015. A total of 31,600 applied and received German citizenship in the three years after the referendum (2016 to 2019) with another 15,000 German passports expected for 2020. Overall half the estimated 120,000 Britons in Germany are expected to have dual citizenship by the end of this year.

A border control sign for European Union citizens inside an airport

Interviews with migrants in Germany for the study found those who had made the move to the EU since 2015 considered it a “big risk” but were prepared to make the trade-off to secure future residency and employment routes across 27 countries.

Tetlow said the rise in naturalisation numbers was a striking commitment “to integrate or socially embed”, with an increase in language learning and community involvement. “We’re observing a new social integration phenomenon and a redefining of what it means to be British European. In 2019, Brits came in just behind Turks in numbers receiving German citizenship – way ahead of Poles, Romanians, Iraqis or Syrians,” he added.

Case study

Andreas Mitchell’s family moved from Scotland to Germany in 2018 after the 20-year-old was diagnosed with a form of leukaemia and they feared Brexit could delay medicines or treatment.

Andreas said: “About six months after the referendum I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. I was getting treatment but these kind of things can start deteriorating over the years, and eventually we decided we should probably leave in case things started to get difficult.

© Thomson Reuters A pro-Brexit supporter (L) and anti-Brexit demonstrator interact outside Europe House on Brexit day in London, Britain January 31, 2020. REUTERS/Simon Dawson

“We had a fear that if a hard Brexit came there could be delays at the border with medicines coming through and my treatment would have to be prioritised and it would get interrupted by two or three weeks. With leukaemia you can’t wait a few weeks.”

He added: “It became a question of should we stay, things deteriorating financially for the family – petrol into Aberdeen every day mounts up cost-wise and there was a risk if my treatment got postponed.”

Mitchell’s German-born mother, Uschi, says they loved their life and home in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, and they miss their family and friends there – but the town and area have already changed significantly because of Brexit.

“Even without Covid-19 the economy had started to contract. People and investors alike became increasingly cautious when it came to spending money,” she said.

They also considered Ireland and Italy, but Uschi got a job in Germany. Fear over Brexit was “the main factor”, she added. “Where we were wasn’t brilliant for work so we thought we would not be able to sustain ourselves and Andreas’s diagnosis was a big scare, so Brexit was the big push in the end.”

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