Looking Back: August

The last time I did a "looking back" post for August, it started like this: August was a good month! As usual, it was filled with lots of outdoor activities, family and friends! I love summer! Well this year sure is different! Not that I do not love summer, but this year was not filled with very many outdoor activities, family or friends! In fact, COVID, topped with a healthy dose of forest fires, has really put the kibosh on pretty much everything! But I still managed to eek out a few "summer" activities! 

Running: I won't lie; running has been a bit meh lately. I am having a hard time getting motivated to go out, and the fact that there were several very hot weeks, and then thunderstorms and then smoke, has only added to my enthusiasm, or lack thereof. However, I did get out and about each weekend a little, including a fun hike with my brother and Dad at the beginning of the month. Total running miles ended up being 215 miles, including the hiking trip. 

Running in the smoke

Reading: Some people watch a lot of Netflix; other people read a lot of books! I fit very strongly into the latter camp. In August I read 11 books (7 of them were audiobooks). My favorites were (1) Unorthodox: this is a book about a Hasidic Jewish girl in Brooklyn and her struggles to live within the confines of her religious group. I learned a lot, for instance, did you know that the Hasidic women all shave their heads and then wear a wig or a shawl? (2) One of Us is Lying: this book reminded me of The Breakfast Club; it is about a group of highschoolers and one of them dies unexpectedly and we have to find out if he was killed, and by whom. Each person has a distinct personality and it is fun to try to figure out who-done-it. (3) Know my Name: this book was about a woman who got assaulted on the Stanford campus and how helpless she felt. It was powerful and had many uncomfortable moments, but it really makes you feel how she felt (and still feels) after the trauma. 

Travel: Ah, travel, what is that? Just kidding. At the beginning of the month, I met up with my brother and my Dad and we did a backpacking trip in the Sierras for a couple of days. This was a lot of fun, as it's been a while since we have done a hike together (I think the last one was climbing Mount Shasta in 2013; can that be right?) It was fun to be with the guys and also interesting to see the dynamic change. My Dad used to plan everything and carry everything and be the leader and this time, we decided on the location together, I planned all of the meals and carried all of the food and had the maps, and my brother carried my Dad's tent. We are now peers more than father and kids and it is fun to make decisions together. Other than that trip, I spent the rest of the weekends at home. 

Hiking with the lads

Etc. & Misc.: Speaking of spending the weekends at home, I have been studying a lot and taking some breaks to experiment with making dehydrated food, protein bars and balls for backpacking (anybody have a protein bar/ball recipe with no flour and no sugar that is high in calories and stays together and can be carried on the trail for several days?) If asked what I spent the majority of my money on in the past 6 months, it would definitely be food! Other than that, I have been picking things from the garden (figs, tomatoes, peppers) and hanging out with Gato. 

What have you been up to? Do you have any good book recommendations? What was the most fun thing you did in August? 

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PAPHOS MUNICIPALITY BANS USE OF POOL TO TWO FEUDING SPORTS CLUBS

 Cyprus Mail 1 September 2020 - by Bejay Browne

Paphos municipality has banned two sports clubs from using the municipal swimming pool, until they sort out a conflict between them, a spokesman told the Cyprus Mail on Tuesday.

“The municipality of Paphos is sadly watching the internal disputes that have broken out within the Nautical Club of Paphos and led to the creation of a new Water Polo Club,” he said.

The municipality considers that these phenomena are to the detriment of the children of Paphos who are involved in swimming and other swimming pool sports, and also to the detriment of sports in Paphos in general, he noted.

“It seems that the matter may be very serious, and the municipality decided not to allow either of them to use the facility of the Evagoras Pallikaridis swimming pool for training at present.”

In the light of these, “unpleasant and unacceptable developments”, the municipality decided to suspend the use of the pool by both, as the situation in their administration seems to be leading to extremes, with the possibility of even criminal acts, he said.

“In addition, the municipality calls on the Swimming Federation, as well as all other stakeholders, to intervene immediately to find a final solution to the problem,” he said.

He clarified that the Evagoras Pallikaridis swimming pool remains is open and is operating normally for the other sports programmes.

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NICOSIA PRISON WARDEN CAUGHT WITH HARD DRUGS, ANABOLIC TABLETS

 in-cyprus 1 September 2020 - by Annie Charalambous

A Nicosia Prison warden has been arrested and remanded in custody after hard drugs and anabolic tablets were found in his possession, an announcement by the prison management said on Tuesday.

The arrest was made on Monday and his suspension is imminent, it added.

The warden was caught with 4.5 grams of cocaine, anabolic tablets, a number of bottles containing liquid that was sent to the laboratory for testing and a substantial  amount of  money.

“Prevention and combating of corruption is top priority for us and our actions over the past recent years have proved this,” the management said.

“A total of five wardens have been arrested, suspended  or/and sentenced by a court or/and fired,” it added.

The arrests were made possible through cooperation with the anti-drug squad of the police force.

 

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WILD PARTY AT LIMASSOL SEA CLUB DESPITE COVID RESTRICTIONS

 in-cyprus 1 September 2020 - by Maria Bitar

Health experts keep warning the public about coronavirus and its dangers but it seems the message is not received, judging from a new video posted on Facebook showing wild partying at a club by the sea in Limassol.

The party took place on Sunday afternoon at a club which falls within the jurisdiction of the British Bases and it was mostly locals taking part, according to Philenews.

No social distancing or other covid-19 -related restrictions were observed, as if organisers assumed the Republic’s rules do not apply there.

However, police have studied the video carefully and decided to pass it along to their  counterparts at the Bases for further investigation.

The establishment where the party took place will be fined and could even be closed down temporarily if decrees are found to be violated.

Additionally, efforts will be made so that those at the party are tracked down starting with the individual who posted the video.

 

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EPIDEMIOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT OF COUNTRIES CONCERNING COVID-19 AS AT 1/9 - effective 5/9

 

The main changes appear to be:

Hungary from A to B

Slovakia from A to B

Slovenia from A to B

Lichtenstein from A to B

Monaco from B to C

Rwanda from B to C

Australia from C to B

01-09-2020 11:45

Epidemiological risk assessment of countries concerning COVID-19, dated 01/09/2020

The epidemiological picture of various countries with regard to the COVID-19 disease has been re-evaluated by the Epidemiological Monitoring and Control of Infectious Diseases Unit of the Medical Services and the Public Health Services. The evaluation was based on the epidemiological indicators of the countries, such as: the effective reproduction number R(t) for SARS-CoV-2, the number of new diagnoses, the number of laboratory tests, the mortality rate per 100,000 inhabitants, the estimated prevalence and the impact and classification by the World Health Organization (WHO), as these indicators appear on valid databases. The following categorization of countries, based on the epidemiological risk assessment, is extremely dynamic and may be modified at any moment as the pandemic evolves and the epidemiological data changes. For this reason, new data will be announced and the list of countries will be updated frequently. It should be noted that in categorizing countries, the recommendation of the European Council, dated 30 June, on the gradual and coordinated lifting of travel restrictions to the European Union, has been taken into consideration.   Category A – Low-risk countries at current stage • European Union Member States: 1) Germany, 2) Estonia, 3) Latvia, 4) Lithuania, 5) Finland • Schengen Area Members: 1) Norway • Third Countries:  1) Georgia, 2) Canada, 3) New Zealand, 4) South Korea, 5) Thailand Included in this category are countries with an effective reproduction (Rt) number lower than 1 or/and small number of new diagnoses (<1/100,000 inhabitants per day) or/and small or very small COVID-19 mortality (<5-10/100,000 inhabitants) or/and classification of sporadic cases or clusters of cases according to the WHO or/and at least satisfactory laboratory testing (>3000 tests/100,000 inhabitants). It should be noted that passengers coming from Category A countries are not required to present a laboratory COVID-19 test certificate or go into self-isolation.   Category B - Countries with possibly low risk but greater uncertainty compared to Category A • European Union Member States: 1) Austria, 2) Belgium, 3) Denmark, 4) Greece, 5) Ireland, 6) Italy, 7) Hungary, 8) Poland, 9) Portugal, 10) Sweden, 11) Slovakia, 12) Slovenia, 13) Czech Republic • United Kingdom • Schengen Area Members: 1) Switzerland, 2) Iceland, 3) Lichtenstein • Small States:  1) Vatican City, 2) San Marino • Third Countries: 1) Uruguay, 2) China, 3) Japan, 4) Australia Included in this category are countries with an effective reproduction (Rt) number greater than 1 or/and number of new diagnoses <1/100,000 inhabitants per day or/and increased COVID-19 mortality (>10/100,000 inhabitants) or/and limited laboratory testing (<2000 tests/100,000 inhabitants) or lack of WHO classification. It should be noted that passengers coming from Category B countries are required to undergo a laboratory test within 72 hours prior to departure and to possess a Certificate showing negative PCR examination for the virus. It is also clarified that passengers from Category B countries, falling into the following categories, may undergo the molecular examination upon arrival in the Republic: a) Cypriot citizens and their family members (their alien spouses, underage children and parents),  b) all those legally residing in the Republic, c) persons entitled to under the Vienna Convention, d) persons, irrespective of nationality, whose countries of residence do not provide a laboratory testing service (public or private) to those wishing to travel to the Republic of Cyprus according to a relevant announcement. It should be noted that the examination cost will be borne by those persons themselves and in addition, such persons should remain in self-isolation at home until the examination result is issued.   Category C – High-risk countries compared to categories A and B • European Union Member States: 1) Bulgaria, 2) France, 3) Croatia, 4) Luxemburg, 5) Romania, 6) Spain, 7) Malta, 8) Netherlands • Small States:  1) Andorra, 2) Monaco • Third Countries: 1) Algeria, 2) Serbia, 3) Morocco, 4) Montenegro, 5) Rwanda, 6) Tunisia, 7) Russia, 8) Ukraine, 9) Faroe Islands, 10) Egypt, 11) United Arab Emirates, 12) Israel, 13) Lebanon, 14) Qatar, 15) Bahrein, 16) Saudi Arabia All countries not included in categories A or B are placed in this category. Some of the countries which are of high risk according to their epidemiological picture, are mentioned above. In accordance with the Infectious Diseases Decree (No.30) of 2020, entry into the Republic from Category C countries shall be allowed only for specific categories of citizens who have the possibility to choose whether to undergo a diagnostic test for COVID19 upon their arrival in Cyprus or have with them a negative RT-PCR test certificate for COVID-19, undertaken within 72 hours prior to departure. It must be noted that such persons shall have to remain in a state of self-isolation for 14 days. Relevant sanitary instructions are available at the following link: https://www.pio.gov.cy/coronavirus/en/info.html . It is also noted that in accordance with the Decree by the Minister of Health N. 37, dated 12 August 2020, citizens arriving from category C countries are obliged to undergo a molecular examination for COVID-19, 48 hours prior to the termination of their 14-day self-isolation, at their own expense.  The test results should be sent to the following email address: monada@mphs.moh.gov.cy .  It is understood that the self-isolation will come to an end on the 14th day provided that the outcome of the repeat test comes out negative. It must be stressed that all passengers, regardless of country category, shall be obliged to file an application for the CyprusFlightPass within 24 hours prior to their departure flight. Moreover, in order to ensure public health and the monitoring of the epidemiological picture, a sample molecular laboratory testing of passengers on selected arriving flights will be carried out. It is noted that the above categorization of countries shall take effect on 5 September 2020.  ( MK/DC )

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FINES FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT ACCEPT CARDS

 Filenews 1 September 2020 - by Eleftheria Paizanou

Financial penalties of up to €2 thousand will impose the Tax Department on companies that do not comply with the obligations in relation to the acceptance of a credit card as a means of payment.

Under the law passed a month ago by the House, persons engaged in economic activity are required to accept from consumers in addition to cash payments and credit cards.

It is worth noting that a decree is expected to be issued, specifying the companies that will have the obligation to install a terminal and accept payments with credit cards as well.

In a circular issued by the Tax Commissioner, Giannis Tsagaris, he makes it clear that after the adoption of the relevant decree, appropriate checks will be followed by the Department on businesses to determine whether the legislation is being implemented.

As noted in the circular, in the event of an infringement by the company, the official is obliged within five working parties to report to the Tax Commissioner who within 15 days will have to decide whether to impose an administrative fine, which can reach up to €2,000.

In fact, if the infringer fails to pay the fine, then the Tax Commissioner takes legal action and collects the amount due as civil debt due to the Republic.

It is worth noting that violators can file an objection with the Tax Commissioner within 30 days.

The decision on the objection shall be given within one month, while the decision on the objection shall be subject to appeal to the Administrative Court. According to the circular, the administrative fine is reduced in half when the infringer pays the fine or submits to the Tax Commissioner an invoice proving the purchase of a payment card acceptance terminal and payment instruments within 30 days. Under the law, due to card payments or other electrical means of payment, a public lottery programme will be implemented for the purchase of goods or services involving persons making electronic payments.

In the meantime, according to the circular, the electronic submission of the tax return should be made by 31 July of the year following the tax year. At the same time, the obligation to file a tax return regardless of income will apply from the fiscal year 2020, i.e. from next year. At the same time, the Council of Ministers by decree will determine the criteria by which natural persons with gross incomes up to €19,500 will not be required to file tax returns. In addition, under the law, taxpayers filing tax returns can file a revised tax return for any tax year within three years.

Moreover, for tax years before 2020 revised declarations will be timely if submitted within six months of the day the law was implemented (20 August 2020). Finally, no credit balance (tax) will be refunded to a taxpayer who has failed to fulfil his obligations by the end of the tax year, while the Registrar may suspend his payment until the taxpayer has fulfilled his tax obligations. Until the taxpayer repays his debts, no interest will be paid to him.

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CORONAVIRUS - THIRTEEN INDIVIDUALS, NINE ESTABLISHMENTS BOOKED

 Cyprus Mail 1 September 2020 - by Annette Chrysostomou

Police booked thirteen individuals and nine owners of premises for violations of Covid-19 measures during 24 hours from Monday morning until Tuesday morning. Four persons were fined for not filling out the CyprusFlightPass.

A police officer from the press office said a total of 114 checks were conducted in Nicosia and three persons were booked. Police also booked four owners of premises. In Limassol two individuals and two premises were booked.

Three people were fined in Larnaca, while in Paphos three establishments and one person were booked. In the Famagusta district two individuals were booked, and another two in the Morphou district.

Port police also conducted 34 checks but did not fine anybody.

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PEYIA RESIDENTS COMPLAIN OF RECURRING WATER CUTS

 Cyprus Mail 1 September 2020 - by Bejay Browne

Exasperated residents in Peyia, fed up with interruptions in water supply, have taken to social media to complain. However, the local mayor pointed out that problems have only occurred twice the entire summer.

“Unfortunately the same area of Peyia has been affected twice by problems in water supply this summer, the last one was this weekend but all areas are back on now,” Marinos Lambrou, told the Cyprus Mail on Monday, adding that supply to some areas may take longer, as the water has to pass through the entire system.

The mayor said that the problem experienced on Sunday was ‘small’ compared to the first one which saw him personally intervene and ensure that a second pipeline was installed to boost supply.

Residents have water storage tanks which hold two tonnes of water and which should be sufficient to their needs for the 12 to 24 hours the mains supply was unavailable, he said.

“Residents were without water for 24 hours maximum, but unfortunately the technical issues affected the same area of Peyia on both occasions. Most of Peyia was not affected.”

However, according to a post on the official municipality Facebook page on Monday afternoon, the water supply was yet to resume in all areas, and a local kindergarten had to send children home early.

“I have a kindergarten in Peyia, and now we have had no water all day. We have to send the children home early as it’s a health risk.” The nursery complained on the Facebook page.

“I don’t remember the time with normal water supply,” a Peyia resident, Alexandra, posted on the page. Almost all of the time, the municipality share information messages on Facebook. “I’m extremely tired of the situation. I have flowers and trees that need to be watered everyday, but as I see nobody cares.”

Another commented : “No water again, it’s been off since Sunday morning, and when it’s on, the pressure is very low.”

Last year, a further 500 water meters were installed in Peyia and currently there are around 12,000 to 14,000 residents using the water supply in the area, according to Lambrou. Such numbers can put a huge strain on the system, which also has to pump water to upper Peyia.

Local councillor and Peyia resident, Linda Leblanc, said that much has been done in the last couple of years to improve the water supply in Peyia, which for the last few decades has been an issue, particularly in the summer months.

“Our supply is from Kannaviou dam which is 35 kilometres away and often issues are the responsibility of the water development department and not Peyia municipality. When the municipality has any information, they share it. Last year, there were problems with the filters at the dam,” she said.

Peyia residents may always contact the technical services of the municipality to find out more information, she said.

“The authorities are doing the best they can,” she said.

 

 

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SMART WATER METERS TO BE INSTALLED IN NICOSIA IN 2021

 in-cyprus 1 September 2020 - by Maria Bitar

The Water Board of Nicosia in collaboration with the capital’s municipality and Cyprus Telecommunications Authority will be installing up-to-date smart meters for tracking water consumption within 2021.

Board director Constantinos Parmaklis told Philenews that the initial pilot programme will be installed in areas across the green line of Nicosia only. The smart meters will be able to also track possible water leaks.

And the home owner will receive an SMS informing of the leak, he added.

Water consumption will be tracked not once every two months but several times throughout the day.

This pilot programme is currently at an advanced stage and falls under the broader “smart city” one.

“It will take some years to cover all premises within the city with smart meters”, the director also said.

Consumers do not need to have an internet connection for the smart meters to be activated as this will be achieved with special wireless lines that Cyta will provide, he said.

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TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 1 - CORONAVIRUS GLOBAL UPDATE

 in-cyprus 1 September 2020 - by Annie Charalambous

Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

Russia and Chinese vaccines raise doubts

High-profile novel coronavirus vaccines developed in Russia and China share a potential shortcoming: They are based on adenovirus type 5, or Ad5, a common cold virus that many people have been exposed to, potentially limiting their effectiveness, some experts say.

Researchers have experimented with Ad5-based vaccines against a variety of infections for decades, but none is widely used. They employ harmless viruses as “vectors” to ferry genes from the target virus – in this case the novel coronavirus – into human cells, prompting an immune response to fight the actual virus. But many people already have antibodies against Ad5, which could cause the immune system to attack the vector instead of responding to the coronavirus, making these vaccines less effective.

Some scientists also worry an Ad5-based vaccine could increase chances of contracting HIV. In a 2004 trial of a Merck & Co Ad5-based HIV vaccine, people with pre-existing immunity became more, not less, susceptible to the virus that causes AIDS. Researchers, including top U.S. infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci, in a 2015 paper, said the side effect was likely unique to HIV vaccines.

Back to class in England and Wales

Schools in England and Wales will finally reopen on Tuesday to all students for a new term after the coronavirus pandemic forced their closure, leading to cancelled exams and throwing student grades into chaos.

The Department for Education said a “system of controls” would be in place to keep pupils and teachers safe, with social distancing maintained whenever possible.

A study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in August suggested school closures widened educational inequalities between poorer and richer students.

Concern over an educational divide was compounded in August, when the government bowed to pressure from angry pupils, teachers and members of parliament to ditch an algorithm that had downgraded A-level results for almost 40% of school leavers, with those in disadvantaged areas more adversely affected.

Coronavirus often undiagnosed in U.S. front-line hospital workers

A high proportion of novel coronavirus infections among U.S. healthcare personnel appear to go undetected, according to a report on Monday in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Between April and June, among more than 3,000 front-line workers in 12 states, roughly 1 in 20 had antibody evidence of a previous novel coronavirus infection, but 69% of those infections had never been diagnosed.

Infections among front-line healthcare personnel may be going undetected, the study authors say, because some infections may be only minimally symptomatic or asymptomatic and also because personnel with symptoms may not always have access to testing.

Medical waste spills into Indonesian river

For residents along Indonesia’s Cisadane River, the coronavirus has brought not just deadly disease, but also a deluge of medical waste: a constant stream of syringes, masks and hazmat suits floating by.

As the virus has spread, medical waste had been piling up at Tangerang’s Cipeucang landfill. Then in May its walls collapsed, sending tons of garbage straight into the Cisadane’s khaki green waters.

“I still worry to be honest, but I have to wash here,” resident Eka Purwanti, 36, told Reuters, as she did her laundry in the river, and children played on the bank.

“I hope nothing will happen, although I know it’s a deadly disease.”

Indonesia’s health ministry acknowledged the problem – saying 1,480 tons of COVID-19 medical waste was produced across the country from March through June – and admitted it lacked treatment facilities, but was working on solutions.

(Reuters)

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