ALARM IN ANKARA AS CORONAVIRUS SWEEPS TURKISH CAPITAL

 in-cyprus 5 September 2020 - by Annie Charalambous

Surging coronavirus cases in Ankara are stretching hospitals to the limit and Turkish authorities need to impose a fresh lockdown to bring the virus under control, doctors in the Turkish capital say.

The city is now the epicentre of Turkey‘s COVID-19 outbreak, the government announced this week, and although authorities say there is no plan for a lockdown as yet officials privately say new measures may be needed soon.

“Ankara has become Wuhan,” said geriatrics professor Mustafa Cankurtaran at Ankara’s Hacettepe medical faculty, referring to the Chinese city where the new coronavirus first emerged.

“A 10-14 day lockdown should be imposed. Health capacity may be exceeded,” he tweeted on Wednesday, urging the government to open all medical centres, including private health units.

Two officials told Reuters the number of cases in Ankara was rising faster than anticipated, and current measures including mask-wearing and social distancing were not having the results they anticipated.

“The daily positive cases are high enough to cause discomfort now, and everyone has started seeing daily new cases in their close circles,” said one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“If new measures are not taken, it appears it will be more difficult to prevent new problems,” the official added, saying some “city-based” steps could be taken.

“SECOND PEAK”

Health minister Fahrettin Koca, describing a “second peak” in COVID-19 cases in Turkey, said the number of active cases in Ankara this week were twice the number in Istanbul – whose population is three times the size of the capital.

Ankara governor Vasip Sahin told reporters on Friday that he hoped the rising trend in the number of cases would not require stricter measures such as curfew.

“Curfew is a tough situation, we don’t want to impose that. We believe that it’s possible to reverse this trend in our city without such restrictions, Sahin said.

However, Ankara doctors and other health workers are exhausted, the Turkish Medics Association (TTB) says.

One doctor dealing with COVID-19 told Reuters there were over 1,000 daily cases at their Ankara hospital, not far below the official national daily total which stands at around 1,600. Patients were being treated in corridors, and doctors dying.

“Ankara is seriously in big trouble,” the doctor said. “They really need to impose restrictions on being outdoors.”

Asked about the numbers reported by the doctor, Turkey‘s Health Ministry stood by its figures.

Fatalities across the country have jumped to their highest since mid-May, when lockdowns were in place, with 49 deaths reported on Thursday.

At the weekend, the mayors of Istanbul and Ankara accused the government of playing down the scale of the pandemic, citing local information.

(Reuters)

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FOUR NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES TODAY

 Filenews 4 September 2020

The Ministry of Health informs that, according to an update received today by the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit from contracting laboratories, a total of 1,810 laboratory diagnoses identified 4 new cases of COVID-19 disease.

In detail, virus-positive individuals emerged as follows:

• Of 631 samples taken through a private initiative, 3 cases were identified.*
• Of 127 samples taken from the Microbiological Laboratories of the General Hospitals, 1 case was identified.

*Two were from abroad, one was from a refugee.

In addition, the following laboratory tests were carried out, without the detection of a case:

• From samples taken under the programme of referrals from Personal Physicians and special teams control through the Public Health Clinics, 58 laboratory diagnoses were completed,
• From samples taken through the process of tracing contacts of already confirmed cases, 110 laboratory tests were carried out,
• From samples taken in the context of passenger and repatriated checks, 847 laboratory diagnoses were completed,
• From samples taken at the barricades, 33 laboratory tests were completed, and
• Of the samples taken by the residents of Kato Pyrgos Tylliria, 4 laboratory diagnoses were completed.

Therefore, and on the basis of the data so far, the total number of cases amounts to 1,502.

In addition, five people tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus are being treated in a ward at Famagusta General Hospital. Two patients are being treated in the Intensive Care Unit of the Nicosia General Hospital.

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THE KARDS IN TALA - Sofreliana Tavern, Tala - 26 September

 

THE KARDS - LIVE IN TALA

Sofreliana Tavern, Tala

Saturday 26 September  Doors 1pm, music 2pm to 5pm

Tickets €20pp including Cypriot cuisine, beer, wine or soft rinks.

Booking essential - Al 97 799920 or Robin 99 258479

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BLUE AIR CANCELS ALL FLIGHTS FROM LARNACA TO GREECE UNTIL END OF MARCH 2021

 Cyprus Mail 4 September 2020 - by Evie Andreou

Low-cost Blue Air has cancelled all its flights between mid-September and end of March from Larnaca to Athens and Thessaloniki, its representative in Cyprus, Orthodoxou Aviation, said on Friday.

The decision was mainly due to restrictions in place because of the pandemic but also the large competition from other air carriers offering the same routes.

According to Orthodoxou Aviation, the flights to the two Greek destinations the airline is operating from Larnaca have been cancelled until the end of March. Affected passengers will get a refund.

Cyprus placed Greece in category B last August from category A after several people arriving from Greek destinations were testing positive to the virus.

After this development, many Cypriots cancelled their holidays to Greece while some airlines had cancelled routes to some Greek airports.

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PAYMENTS OF TAXES AND CONTRIBUTIONS ARE MADE ONLY ELECTRONICIALLY

 Filenews 4 September 2020

Payments of taxes and contributions are made only electronically, says the Department of Taxation, which recalls that in the context of modernisation in the service of taxpayers, from 1 September 2020 the collection of taxes and contributions to the Department's coffers in the local District Offices was terminated.

In today's announcement, the Department states that payments of taxes and contributions are made electronically through the Tax Portal of the Department of Taxation in https://taxportal.mof.gov.cy/ of both overdue and overdue debts (including interest and charges) and through the JCCSmart website in www.jccsmart.com for overdue debts.

It also states that payments to the Tax Department's Funds will be accepted exceptionally and only in cases where electronic payment is impossible. E.g., Property Tax (part payment) and non-Computerized types of taxes.

The Tax Office reports that, "No. Payment Report" obtained from the Tax Portal is used only for payments through your online bank and adds that the use of the "No. Payment Report" for payments made through JCCSmart is not recognised - at this stage - and will be rejected.

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MUNICIPAL WEDDING OFFICERS OUSTED, ONLY MAYORS AND THEIR DEPUTIES CAN OFFICIATE

 Cyprus Mail 4 September 2020 - by Bejay Browne

Municipal staff are no longer able to perform marriage ceremonies in Cyprus following a decision by the ministry of the interior to only permit mayors and deputy mayors to officiate, creating an ‘impossible’ situation according to local mayors.

Mayors in the Paphos district believe the decision, which was made without any discussion or consultation, comes in the wake of a number of ‘sham’ marriages, mostly involving third-country nationals, that have been recently uncovered in other municipalities.

“This will affect all of the municipalities in Cyprus, not just ours, but we have so many weddings particularly during the summer that there is no way I would be able to undertake this work,” the mayor of Yeroskipou, one of the four municipalities in the Paphos district, told the Cyprus Mail on Friday.

Cyprus is also a popular wedding destination with overseas couples marrying and honeymooning abroad; Paphos is particularly popular with the British market, which generates a substantial income for the municipalities.

Yeroskipou municipality usually carries out around 900 weddings a year, mostly in the summer months, said Pavlides, and five staff are employed to deal with the sector.

“I have only carried out around ten marriages in the last nine years and usually, this not something that we do. We have experienced employees for this, and in the summer we can have 25 weddings a day, it would be impossible to carry them all out,” Pavlides said.

The situation will also badly affect Peyia which carries out more than 500 weddings a year, and which yields an income of more then €350,000 annually, according to the mayor, Marinos Lambrou.

“Sometimes, we have three weddings at the same time. How will this be possible. I have performed a wedding today and I have two booked for Monday but they are at the same time, so I have had to ask one couple to change their time,” he said.

He added that the move is punishing all of the municipalities for ‘paid weddings’ that have taken place in other areas, which is not the right way to respond. No sham marriages have taken place in Peyia since he has been the mayor, he noted.

“Our two wedding employees are very experienced and only once has paperwork been submitted that was a sham. It was easy to tell that the couple were not legitimate. We didn’t accept their papers. The staff are upset, as this is their job and they have been stripped of their profession.”

Lambrou is using the wedding officers as secretaries but added, “no-one needs a secretary the whole time, and they would like to go back to doing their jobs.”

He added that instead of increasing this important part of the tourism sector, the latest regulations are creating huge problems.

Lambrou added that due to the pandemic, many weddings this year have been postponed until next year, when he expects there to be more than 500 booked. Peyia already has ten booked to be officiated in just one day in 2021.

“Who will do all of these, it is totally impossible,” he said.

The mayors of Paphos have sent letters to the ministry of the interior to reconsider the decision with the hope that the situation can be resolved swiftly.

Pavlides will meet with the minister of the interior Nicos Nouris on Tuesday when he will discuss the matter.

“I hope that he understands us and we can find a solution,” he said.

 

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EDUCATION MINISTRY HELP LINES ON CORONAVIRUS PROTOCOLS

 Cyprus Mail 4 September 2020 - by Staff Reporter

The education ministry is launching a call centre to handle queries from teachers, parents and the public more generally regarding its health protocol to contain the spread of coronavirus in schools.

The new academic year starts on Monday, though teachers’ unions and parents have requested a postponement of a few days because of the protracted heat wave.

In an announcement, the Health Ministry said it was operating the following help lines for queries from parents, guardians and the general public:

For primary education: 22800800

For secondary schools and technical schools: 22800755

For teachers, the ministry’s help lines are:

For primary education: 22800756

For secondary schools and technical schools: 22800772

The health ministry said the call centre aimed to provide comprehensive information so that all can cooperate for the smooth and unimpeded operation of the schools under the special conditions created by the pandemic.

The telephone lines will operate on Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 1.30 pm.

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SWITZERLAND OPENS LINK FROM NORTHERN EUROPE TO THE MED VIA ALPS TUNNEL

 Cyprus Mail 4 September 2020 - Reuters News Service

Switzerland officially opened the Ceneri Base Tunnel on Friday, the final piece in a direct, flat rail link connecting northern Europe to the Mediterranean via routes beneath the Alps.

The 15.4 kilometre (9.57 miles) tunnel marks the completion of the New Rail Link through the Alps (NRLA), a 22.8 billion Swiss franc (18.85 billion pounds) project dubbed Switzerland’s construction project of the century.

Together with the 57.1 kilometre Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world’s longest rail tunnel which opened in 2016, and the 34.6 kilometre Loetschberg tunnel, Ceneri completes a system that allows uninterrupted freight transport from Rotterdam and Genoa under the mountains.

“It’s the last part of the puzzle,” Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) Chief Executive Vincent Ducrot told reporters. “The goal to have a flat rail line through the Alps has now been achieved.”

The tunnel, which has taken 10 years to build, runs beneath Monte Ceneri, replacing a steep surface railway which had a high-altitude tunnel at the top. Its north portal is situated at Camorino, and the tunnel breaks through the mountains in the south at Vezia, near Lugano.

Switzerland wants to use the tunnel, which is due to enter service on Dec. 13. 2020, to transfer more freight transport from trucks to rail, decreasing CO2 emissions and protecting the Alpine environment.

“The environmental benefit is obvious, but it’s not only about the Alps,” Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga, who attended the opening ceremony, told Reuters. “It’s a competitive advantage for Switzerland and a sustainable transport policy.”

The 3.6 billion franc tunnel, the culmination of Switzerland’s efforts to ease the transalpine journey which began with the opening of the Gotthard summit tunnel in 1882, can carry up to 170 freight trains and 180 passenger trains per day.

The project’s aim is to reduction in the number of trucks crossing the Alps to 650,000 per year, cutting daily CO2 emissions by 890 tonnes. Last year, there were around 900,000 transalpine truck journeys, according to Swiss Federal Office of Transport.

 

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CYPRUS TO GET €479m FROM EU TO TACKLE UNEMPLOYMENT

 Cyprus Mail 4 September 2020 - by Gina Agapiou

Cyprus to get €479.070.000 from the European Union to tackle unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic, the finance ministry said on Friday.

The European Commission accepted the request of Cyprus and included the country in the first group of 15 Member States for the allocation of the emergency support funds, totalling €81,4 billion, said a written announcement by the finance ministry. The relevant proposal is pending for the final approval from the Council of the European Union.

The EU adopted the ‘Support  to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency’– SURE as part of the emergency support package to tackle the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. This new temporary support instrument will offer financial support of up to € 100 billion in total, in the form of loans granted by the EU to the Member States, on favourable terms.

Cyprus’ government submitted on time, specifically on August 6, 2020, to the European Commission a formal, thorough, and fully substantiated request for a loan of € 479,070,000 to finance government employment support projects.

“Cyprus together with two other Member States will receive the largest loan rate, from 2.0 per cent of their own GDP 2019” the ministry said. The amount of loans as a percentage of GDP 2019 per Member State (from the 15 Member States) ranges from 0.5 per cent to 2.0 per cent, with an average of 1.5 per cent of GDP for the 15 Member States, the announcement explained.

The loan is expected to have a significant benefit given that the maximum average loan term will be 15 years and that the EU, during this period, can borrow from markets at a much lower interest rate than Cyprus could, the ministry said. The current secondary yields of the Cypriot bonds are around 1.25 per cent while the EU could borrow today at an interest rate significantly below 1.00 per cent.

The maximum number of projects allowed to be submitted from funding are eight per member state, with an average of five projects. Cyprus, like three other Member States, submitted eight projects which were approved by the European Commission.

As additional interest has been expressed from more member states, the European Commission submitted a proposal to the Council for another Member State on August 25, 2020, raising the total number of applicants to 16 and the total amount of loans expected to be granted to € 87.3 billion.

 

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OUTDOOR HEAVY WORK SUSPENDED DUE TO HEAT WAVE

 Cyprus Mail 4 September 2020 - by Staff Reporter

All heavy labour outdoors must be suspended until 5 pm today because of the extremely high temperatures, the labour ministry has announced.

A met office red alert is in force with temperatures set to soar to about 45 C inland today while the labour ministry has also issued a warning about high concentration of dust in the atmosphere.

The ministry’s department of labour inspection said that bearing in mind the particularly unfavourable forecast regarding conditions for the rest of the day and in line with the law, it wanted to inform employers and the self-employed that all heavy outdoor work must be suspended between 12 noon and 5 pm today because of the risks the heat posed to workers’ health.

As regards light and moderate work, it reminded that a special code is in place regarding the type of work to be carried out, the weather conditions and the technical and organizational measures in place to avoid heat exhaustion. Instructions include organizing the work schedule so that heavier work is carried out during the cooler hours, regular short breaks in a cooler space, rotation of employees, provision of cool drinking water and provision of head coverings among other.

Under the code, for temperatures between 39C to 44C in the shade, work must be interrupted depending on the relative humidity and depending on the kind of work.

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