BEWARE PEOPLE COLLECTING MONEY AT THE DOOR FOR CHARITIES

 Filenews 6 September 2020

Deft people claiming to be holding a fundraiser in support of the Cyprus Cancer Association are visiting homes and illegally obtaining money, the Association said in a statement.

The Cyprus Cancer Association points out that the Association's fundraiser is held with the relevant Fundraising License by the competent authorities, all its volunteers have with them a photocopy of this license.

"With your contribution our volunteers give you back a relevant contribution form with the distinctive logos of our campaign and the number of the aforementioned Fundraising License. Our fundraiser is held by our volunteers outside shops and supermarkets and by no reason door to door. We ask all our fellow citizens to report incidents of this kind to the relevant police authorities," he notes.

It also states that it is regrettable for the Association and its purpose in dealing with these illegal incidents.

"We remain committed to our work and continue to offer our services to thousands of our fellow human beings with cancer experience and we are confident that Cypriot society will once again support us in our fundraiser that is always prepared on the basis of all legal procedures," he concludes.

Source:eyenews/CYPE

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'ASYMPTOMATIC CARRIERS CREATE TRANSMISSION CHAINS'

 Filenews 6 September 2020 - by Giannis Antoniou

At any time the data can be reversed and the risk of virus outbreak is always possible, the Director of Medical and Public Health Services, head of the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Elizabeth Konstantinou, tells "F". It underlines as a worrying fact the infection of young people aged 20 – 40 years, who are usually asymptomatic. Because they have intense activities and are not limited, they have many close contacts resulting in creating transmission chains with an increased risk of spreading the virus.

-Are we facing a new wave of infection or are the cases detected considered isolated?

-At this stage, according to the epidemiological data to date, it appears that the situation had a slight deterioration during the period July-August. However, following early interventions and additional health measures by the Ministry of Health, the situation in Cyprus is currently fully controlled. Of course, this should not lead to complacency either from the citizens or from those responsible. At any time the data can be overturned. The risk of virus outbreak is always possible. Most cases are currently imported from other countries. However, with the regular laboratory checks of incoming passengers in the Republic of Cyprus and the re-evaluation of the epidemiological picture of the countries, we seek to exclude the possibility of a resurgence of the pandemic in Cyprus.

-The case of other countries, as well as recent cases in Cyprus, show how volatile the situation is. What is it that worries you the most?

-What seems to be worrying is the infection with the virus of young people aged 20 – 40 years who are usually asymptomatic. These people have intense daily activities resulting in many close contacts. Also these individuals are difficult to limit until the end of the incubation time of the virus, which is 14 days. In this way they create transmission chains with an increased risk of the virus spreading in the community. We are particularly concerned about the opening of borders because of imported cases, which are mainly asymptomatic. Furthermore, I am concerned about possible fatigue in the world leading to a relaxation in the observance of sanitary measures.

-In addition to personal hygiene measures, what should be the line of defence of each individual citizen but also at the collective level?

-Clear guidelines and precautionary measures are given through the Health Protocols issued by the Ministry of Health to prevent and address the effects of coronavirus in all areas. In fear of unforeseen data on the outbreak and spread of the virus and in particular its effects on vulnerable population groups, the line of defence of each conscientious citizen individually for the protection of all of us is to maintain physical distancing, to make mandatory and correct use of masks where provided, to avoid gatherings with large and uncontrolled numbers of people, to diligently disinfect spaces and objects of common use and to educate our children about behaviour under these circumstances.

Approaches by the Ministry of Health and the Infectious Diseases Epidemiological Surveillance and Control Unit to case management are adapted to the situation at national and local level. Despite the government's already burdened work, Cyprus is treating the pandemic in an exemplary manner on the basis of guidelines from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). In fact, it has received credit from the ECDC and from various countries for the strategy of strict tracing, a difficult process carried out by the Office of which I am head.

- Until now, few were aware of the existence of the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit. What are its main responsibilities?

-Indeed, the work of the Infectious Diseases Epidemiological Surveillance and Control Unit is not widely known. The Unit was established in 2003 at the same time as the creation of the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) and constitutes an infrastructure vital for the Ministry of Health and public health of citizens. Its main responsibilities are: Epidemiological monitoring and control of infectious diseases in the Republic of Cyprus in cooperation on a regular basis with similar international organisations such as ECDC and WHO, risk assessment for immediate prevention and response measures in cases of epidemic or pandemic, research, education and communication with both health professionals and the public and finally , the evaluation and strengthening of vaccination programmes.

- But the pandemic came and brought new responsibilities.

-The Unit is more responsible than all other services with the issue of pandemic due to competence even before outbreaks in Cyprus. In this context, laboratory epidemiological surveillance, the coordination of clinical laboratories, the issue of epidemiological bulletins and the re-evaluation of the epidemiological picture of the various countries with regard to COVID-19 disease also fall within the competence of the Unit. All cases are also monitored. The ultimate objective of the Unit is to coordinate everyone and respond in a timely manner in relation to the treatment of old and new infectious diseases, especially if they involve a risk of transmission and threaten public health.

- Are health services checking? There has been a lot of discussion about the effectiveness of controls at marinas and airports.

-The regulatory framework to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is established by the Ministry of Health. The competent services responsible for monitoring the implementation of this framework are the Health Services of Medical and Public Health Services, the Cyprus Police and the Department of Labour Inspection. In this context, the Health Services in cooperation with the Police carry out intensive checks to monitor the implementation of the measures and the findings of this programme are communicated in a press release to the media. In addition, after the opening of airports, ports and marinas, more scientific checks are carried out. A programme based on three pillars shall be applied to controls:

1. Countries shall be assessed and categorised into three groups according to the epidemiological risk.

2. There are 4 services (The Medical and Public Health Services, the Port Authority, the Civil Aviation Department and the Cyprus Police) that cooperate on the checks on the arrival of passengers.

3. In addition to the above measures, a random check shall be carried out upon arrival of the passengers.

Based on the information obtained from ecdc and the results of the above audits, a weekly reassessment of the categorization of countries is carried out. The points of entry into the Republic of Cyprus are crucial, which is why the Department of Medical Services, in cooperation with the other services, makes every effort to avoid the entry of cases into the Republic.

Early tracing, laboratory checks and quarantine

-Of the last cases detected in Cyprus, very few have been sick to the extent that they require medical attention. Does that mean anything, or is it a co-ownership?

-The last cases in the period July 2020 - August 2020 mainly concern young people aged 20-40 years. These individuals usually have very good physical condition without underlying diseases. That is the main reason why I attribute the low number of admissions to our hospitals. A factor that according to the latest risk assessment by ecdc, is important for the risk assessment of each country from the virus.

-Unlike the first wave of the pandemic there is now no element of surprise, there is time to prepare.

-During the first wave of the pandemic, both the Member States and the competent ECDC and WHO organisations had the time to study the behaviour of the virus and prepare themselves by taking appropriate health measures. Therefore, with the triptych "early detection – laboratory testing – quarantine" an effective mechanism has been created to prevent the spread of the virus in the community.

Coverage of the Cypriot population with the vaccine

-From your contacts with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), what picture prevails at European level?

-ECDC informs about the current threat to human health from COVID-19 disease and supports us in our efforts for preparedness and rapid response. All publications published by ECDC aim to support a pan-European communication approach, currently focused on the completion of vaccine studies, in order to enable it to be provided. The Centre has been alarmed and concerned that for more than five weeks, during the summer months, epidemiological indicators in many European countries have increased on the basis of measurable indicators. In general, the Centre is alert, updating its epidemiological data, protocols and/or recommendations.

- And globally? Attention is now turning to the vaccine. Obviously until it's ready, we're going to have to learn to live with the virus.

-At both global and European level, all public health mechanisms are being put in place and not only around tackling/intercepting and combating the pandemic. All experts and non-experts are currently researching, studying and learning the new virus. There is generally a lot of concern around the issue, but I do not consider the enemy to be invincible. International organisations and all states strive to contribute to tackling the pandemic in every way and equally. Surely the completion of studies on the manufacture of a vaccine effective against coronavirus will be the solution to the problem, which is expected to take place around December. Also the discovery of new anti-ing drugs would help a lot. At this point I mention that Cyprus participates in the Joint Procurement (Joint Negotiating Initiative) of the European Commission, for the supply of the vaccine, with all the manufacturers, which ensures its guarantee for Cyprus and actions are being taken to cover the whole population. In this hope, until such a vaccine is implemented, we must continue to protect and safeguard public health. Our daily lives have been adapted to the ways of dealing with the virus invasion by us. We have now learned to live with the virus, waiting for spring without the virus or more correctly with weapons to deal with it.

 

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BREXIT, YOUR MONEY AND THE UK

 Cyprus Mail 6 September 2020 - by Andrew Rosenbaum

What does a Hard Brexit mean for your savings or investment in the UK?

On Monday, the EU’s chief negotiator again warned that the UK will “have to move” if it wants a post-Brexit trade deal by the end of 2020.

Michel Barnier said he was “worried and disappointed” about the lack of concessions from his British counterpart, David Frost, and he said the end of October was a “strict deadline” to finalise an agreement for next year.

We’ve been hearing this for some time now, and it looks like Brussels and London have slid all the way down the slippery slope to a Hard Brexit.

The good news is that if you’ve already put your money in a UK bank, or invested on the London Stock Exchange, you’re not likely to have any worries about keeping or managing your funds or investment – but you will have to watch the pound (more about this below).

You can put your money into a bank in almost any country (watch out for sanctions though) and access it normally. The UK will still retain its advantages of solid banking and stability, and you will still manage your money online.

If you’ve invested in a stock on the LSE, you can also manage it online, sell it and buy others without any issues – although the downward pressure Brexit is putting on the UK economy might deter you from picking national companies. But do bear in mind that a disruption like Brexit could also cause a drop in prices on the FTSE, and that creates an opportunity to buy the FTSE 100 at a much lower price than it would be without the Brexit risk.

Obviously, the biggest risk here is the foreign exchange dilemma – if the pound plummets, the value of your investment, even if it has risen considerably in value, won’t be worth much in euro terms.

There have been two big upsets to the pound/dollar rate in the last 12 years – the drop to €1.02 to the pound after the financial crisis and the further decline to as low as €1.07 in the period after the 2016 Brexit vote. For now, the pound is at currently at a relatively high of 1.13 to the euro, but a Hard Brexit could knock it down much lower.

As regards real estate, there are certain types of investment that need attention. Do you own a UK building and have tenants? Since the pandemic, tenants have a right to negotiate rent concessions and restructuring. These discussions will be complicated if there is a Hard Brexit, as the downward pressure on the UK economy is likely to delay some tenants in making rent payments that have been on hold.

If you are in the midst of construction, be aware that the industry is set for a terrific disruption in the case of a Hard Brexit.  About 15 per cent of the construction industry workforce is comprised of immigrant Europeans. As they lose the right to work in the UK, getting the labour you need to finish your project may not be easy. Construction materials may also become scarce as EU imports dwindle.

Irrespective of the type of investment you’ve made, Brexit is almost certain to make it more costly. Fund management costs are expected to rise; bank charges will probably increase, especially for large transfers; real estate taxes may be expected to rise, along with management costs.

There is also a specific kind of trouble if you’ve invested in certain kinds of funds, for example, a UK UCITS (mutual fund). This kind of fund is governed by EU directives, and, needless to say, those go out of effect in the UK in the case of a Hard Brexit.

UCITS will be reclassified as Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) under UK law in this case. The question then arises as whether a retail investor will still have access to the funds they’ve invested in.

There’s a difference in financial law in most countries between the retail investor (ordinary blokes like you and me) and the qualified investor – this is someone with real specialist financial knowledge. A great many investments are not available under law to a retail investor, and the UK financial authorities might decide that the fund you’ve invested in shouldn’t be available to you.

Then, there is the problem of the fund manager. Under EU law, UCITS funds and their managers must be established and registered in the EU to manage and market funds to retail and professional investors in the 27 Member States. So when the funds are classified as AIFs, AIF managers need to be established and authorised in the EU to be allowed to manage funds across the EU.

Most of these fund managers, however, are still based in the UK. As a result, this is still a hot topic amongst the many in Brexit issues. It is possible that UK firms may still be able to work with EU investors through the so-called National Private Placement Regimes (NPPR), which see firms agree a deal with national regulators in order to access their markets.

No one knows, yet, how this will play out as Brussels and London wrangle over solutions, but if you have this type of investment, keep watch on the news — here at Cyprus Mail, of course.

 

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SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 6 - CORONAVIRUS GLOBAL UPDATE

 in-cyprus 6 September 2020

More than 26.75 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 875,419​ have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

At the same time, the coronavirus is still making its mark on sporting events: Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has dampened hopes that spectators would be allowed to attend football matches from the start of the new season, saying it would be inappropriate at the present time.

And the professional riders’ association (CPA) called on cycling fans to wear face masks along the route of the Tour de France.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

EUROPE

* Italy’s former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is in a stable condition two days after being hospitalised with the coronavirus, his doctor said on Sunday.

* Pope Francis will next month visit the Italian town of Assisi, his first trip out of Rome since the pandemic hit the country in February, and will sign a new encyclical, a spokesman for the Assisi Basilica said late on Saturday.

* Brussels honoured health workers battling the pandemic on Saturday by dressing up the Belgian capital’s famed bronze statue of the Manneken Pis as a doctor in a white gown and wearing a protective face mask.

ASIA-PACIFIC

* India’s total coronavirus cases surged beyond 4 million with a rise of 86,432 infections on Saturday, making it the third country in the world to surpass that mark, following the United States and Brazil. The number of deaths rose by more than 1,000 to 69,561.

* Protesters against a COVID-19 lockdown defied police in Australia’s hotspot on Saturday, prompting 15 arrests, even as the state of Victoria continued its gradual improvement in stemming new cases due to the nearly five weeks of restrictions.

AMERICAS

* Democratic U.S. vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said she would not take President Donald Trump’s word alone on any potential coronavirus vaccine.

* U.S. deaths from the virus will reach 410,000 by the end of the year, more than double the current death toll, and deaths could soar to 3,000 per day in December, the University of Washington’s health institute forecast.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Schools in Iran re-opened to 15 million students on Saturday after a seven-month closure despite concerns over increased spread of the coronavirus in the country.

* Iranian President Hassan Rouhani castigated Iran’s friends on Saturday for not standing up to the United States and ignoring U.S. sanctions during the pandemic.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Sanofi’s chief in France, Olivier Bogillot, said on Saturday that its future COVID-19 vaccine was likely to be priced below 10 euros per shot.

* Several COVID-19 vaccine developers, including Pfizer Inc , Johnson & Johnson and Moderna Inc, plan to issue a public pledge not to seek government approval until their vaccine candidates are proven to be safe and effective, the Wall Street Journal reported.

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FIRST VISITORS AFTER CYPRUS AIRPORTS REOPENED WERE FROM GREECE, GERMANY, POLAND

 in-cyprus 6 September 2020 - by Annie Charalambous

Coronavirus fear has forced many to cancel tourism plans this summer but those who dared come over to Cyprus after the reopening of airports were mainly from Greece, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Denmark and Austria, Philenews reports.

Cyprus reopened for tourism and started accepting visitors from a green list of countries in early June, and data compiled from the CyprusFlightPass platform shows the total number of visitors in July standing at 64,914.

Specifically, 10,824 (16.67%) came from Greece, 9,651 (14.87%) from Germany, 7,477 (11.52%) from Poland, 6,263 (9.65%) from Switzerland (including Lichtenstein), 3,863 (5.95%) from Denmark, 3,115 (4.80%) from Austria and 23,721 from other countries.

The data also indicates that arrivals from Greece decreased by 9.7% in July compared with the same month last year. Those from Germany were down by 28.3%, Poland’s by 14.3%, Switzerland’s by 39.7%, Denmark’s by 52.8% and 42.8% by those from Austria.

The reason behind the trip for 70.6% of arrivals in July was vacation, 20.1% came over to visit relatives and friends and 9.3% for professional reasons.

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Marriage for the Earl of Southesk and Camille Ascoli

Charlie and Camille

The Earl of Southesk and his fiancée Camille Ascoli were married today, 5 September. The Countess of Southesk wore the Fife Fringe Tiara, which had been on exhibition at Kensington Palace. The tiara was taken off display for the Carnegie/Ascoli nuptials.

Their marriage was announced in Le Figaro by their respective parents, the Duke and Duchess of Fife and Monsieur and Madame Roberto Ascoli:

M. et Mme Roberto ASCOLI

le duc et la duchesse de FIFE

sont heureux de faire part

du mariage de leurs enfants 

Camille et Charlie 

ce samedi 5 septembre 2020.

Charles "Charlie" Duff Carnegie, Earl of Southesk, was born on 1 July 1989. He is the eldest of three sons of David Carnegie, 4th Duke of Fife, and his wife, the former Caroline Ann Bunting. Charlie Southesk is a great-great-grandson of King Edward VII.

Camille Ascoli was born on 6 March 1990. She is the daughter of Roberto Ascoli and his wife, the former Valerie Ledoux.

Congratulations to the Earl and Countess of Southesk!

Source: Earl of Southesk weds Camille Ascoli

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Centennial of the Death of Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna Sr.

Centennial of the Death of Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna Sr.

Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna of Russia

(1854-1920)

Born at Schloß Ludwigslust on May 14, 1854, as the daughter of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1823-1883) and his first wife, the former Princess Auguste Reuß. In August 1874, Marie married Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich (1847-1909) and adopted the Russian name "Marie Pavlovna." 

The couple had five children: Alexander (1875-1877); Kirill (1876-1938), who married Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Edinburgh (1876-1936); Boris (1877-1943); Andrei (1879-1956); and Helen (1882-1957), who married Prince Nicholas of Greece.

During her marriage, Marie Pavlovna was one of the luminaries of Saint Petersburg society, perhaps its unrivaled leader. This position was one that she retained even after the death of her husband in 1909. 

During the Great War, Marie Pavlovna directed several hospitals and gave her full support to bringing medical assistance to the Russian soldiery. Her hospital trains, which criss-crossed the front, were seen as a source of much relief and hope by those who were tended to in them.

Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna Sr. and her daughter Grand Duchess Helen Vladimirovna, 

Princess Nicholas of Greece.

When revolution overthrew the Tsar, Marie Pavlovna retreated to Kislovodsk in the war-torn Caucasus. From there, still riding her private train wagon, she made it to Novorossiysk on the Black Sea Coast. En-route, she ran into her niece Olga Alexandrovna, who later described the experience: "Disregarding peril and hardship, she stubbornly kept all the trimmings of bygone splendor and glory. And somehow she carried it off..When even generals found themselves lucky to find a horse cart and an old nag to bring them to safety, Aunt Miechen made a long journey in her own train. It was battered all right ... but it was hers. Fort the first time in my life I found it a pleasure to kiss her..."

Eventually, she made it to Venice, from where she traveled to Switzerland, finally reaching her beloved French resort at Contrexéville. The she stayed at her villa, where surrounded by her family, she died on September 6, 1920.

She was laid to rest in a small chapel, which her descendants had restored a few years ago.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

The Centennial of the Death of Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna Senior of Russia

by Nicholas Nicholson for Eurohistory

As July drew to a close, Maria Pavlovna’s famous health and energy was beginning to leave her.  Alone in her rooms at the Hôtel la Souveraine, she began her decline.  Ducky and Kirill, who had been visiting with Queen Marie of Romania in Paris cut short their time to rush to her side at the once-fashionable Vosges resort. From Contréxeville, Ducky wrote her sister: “we found my mother-in-law in almost dying condition with an old ass of a Kurarzt[1] who has no notion what to do & a lady & gentleman at the end of their resources and the poor old lady crying in her bed for want of her family, feeling herself dying and deserted by all. She was so pleasant and touched that we came that it repays one for very much what one has been through. I cannot say if she will recover.  At moments one thinks there is but little hope, at other moments she rallies & talks but she is very weak, can take no food without hours of deadly sickness afterwards. They seem to think that one of her kidneys has … brought on a sort of blood poisoning. The old fool of a doctor here started her on the full cure[2]like in olden days which set all this matter in motion, causing an acute attack of the kidneys with excessive pain, followed by complete heart failure. The pulse almost stopped, and this off and on for nearly a week now.  We are awaiting your Doctor Abrams with greatest impatience.  One keeps her going with camphor injections but they make her suffer terribly. This is a medeavel [sic] place, awful bare little rooms & no food or things to be got in the house.  One has to send for everything… I never saw such an arrangement.”[3]  The Grand Duchess was dying slowly of a combination of heart and renal failure with nothing to relieve her pain.  She floated in and out of consciousness for weeks as her family gathered by her side.  Boris arrived in early August and was followed by Andrei and Ellen.  

 

Prince Nicholas of Greece, Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich, Princess Nicholas of Greece, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna Sr., and Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich.

Ellen wrote later to her mother’s old friend Princess Galitzine: “It was épouvantable for several days, but then she at last seemed at some peace -- sometimes calling out for Papa Wladimir! In a weak voice. There were a few days when she seemed almost well, but then on the last day it was a great struggle until at last she slept deeply, and the end came.”[4]  Ducky wrote Missy: “…Aunt Miechen died, repentant like one only reads in books. Asking pardon all round for all the harm she had done, even blaming herself more than seemed necessary to me. She suffered inhumanely and only the last day was quite unconscious. The death struggle lasted 14 hours. I was really, really sad as she was more than nice & touching to me in the end. If she could have lived as she died, what invincible friends we would have been.”[5]

 

Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna Sr. and her granddaughter 

Princess Olga of Greece.

The funeral service was intimate and held in the tiny chapel of Sts. Vladimir and Mary Magdalene which she had built in 1909 to commemorate the death of her husband and her own conversion to the Orthodox faith. The “Grandest” of the Grand Duchesses, Maria Pavlovna was the last Romanov to leave Russia, and the first to die in exile.  Buried in a simple white marble sarcophagus as she would have been in Russia, outside the chapel a sign reads : “In this chapel raised by her own hands lies H.I.H. the Grand Duchess Wladimir, died at Contrexéville 6 September 1920.”

---

[1] A Spa physician

[2] Hot spa treatments, mineral waters, and enemas.

[3] Fond Regina Maria: Dos V/3393/1920, Royal Archives Bucharest; John Wimbles Papers, Archivio Orléans-Borbón, Sanlucar de Barrmeda, Spain.

[4] Princess Nicholas of Greece to Pcess Galitzine, 10 Sept 1920, private collection, USA.

[5] Fond Regina Maria: Dos V/3395/1920, Wimbles, op cit.

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CHRISTMAS DAY LUNCH WITH THE STARS - Martika's Kitchen, Tala Square - 25 December

 

CHRISTMAS DAY LUNCH WITH THE STARS

 Martika's Kitchen, Tala Square

Friday 25 December, 1pm

€49.95 per person - deposit required to secure your space

Now Taking Reservations For

“Christmas Day Lunch With The Stars”

Featuring our 7 Course Festive Lunch With Our Guests Carmen Ghian & Teodoro DeCastillo. They will be performing Songs From Musical Theatre & Classical Crossover.

We are limited on space this year due to COVID restrictions, so please reserve your space to avoid missing out.

Call us on 96 134030 to book.

€15 per head deposit required to secure your space

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FIVE NEW CASES TODAY

 Filenews 5 September 2020

The Ministry of Health announces that, according to an update received today by the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit from contracting laboratories, a total of 3,033 laboratory diagnoses identified 5 new cases of COVID-19 disease.

In detail, virus-positive individuals emerged as follows:

• Of 684 samples taken through a private initiative, 3 cases were identified.
• Of 205 samples taken through the process of tracing contacts of already confirmed cases, 1 case was identified.
• Of 1,683 samples taken as part of a passenger and repatriated check, 1 case was identified.

Detail:

Three new incidents emerged through a private initiative. One concerns a person who has had a laboratory examination as part of the regular check-up carried out at his workplace and has no symptoms.

The second incident concerns a returnee from Ukraine and she took a mandatory test to be released from self-contained detention as provided for in the relevant decree and has no symptoms.

Another incident was detected as part of the laboratory test carried out by the company working and also has no symptoms.

An incident was detected through the tracing of an already confirmed incident.

Finally, the fifth incident concerns a person who came from Romania to Paphos on Saturday and lives permanently in Cyprus.

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

• From samples taken from the Microbiological Laboratories of the General Hospitals, 133 laboratory diagnoses were completed,
• From samples taken as part of the programme of referrals by Personal Physicians and control of special teams through the Public Health Clinics, 233 laboratory diagnoses were completed,
• From samples taken at the barricades, 88 laboratory tests were completed, and
• Of the samples taken by the residents of Kato Pyrgos Tylliria, 7 laboratory diagnoses were completed.

Therefore, and on the basis of the data so far, the total number of cases is 1,507.

In addition, two people tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus are being treated in a ward at Famagusta General Hospital. Three discharges were given. Two patients remain intubated in the Intensive Care Unit of nicosia General Hospital.

Source: eyenews

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PAPHOS - THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS TOURISM THE FIRST CONCERN WITH THE RETURN OF NORMALITY

 Filenews 5 September 2020 - by Dora Christodoulou

The promotion of the province of Paphos as an area of religious tourism, will be the primary concern of the tourist operators of the province with the definitive restoration of normality after the pandemic. This initiative, reported by the 'F', is undertaken after it was found that in all other areas of tourism specialisation the results of the relevant strategies have paid off, even if due to a pandemic this year this has not been fully understood, whereas on the contrary religious tourism falls far short of all others.

At the end of the exceptional circumstances, whether they relate to the beginning of 2021 or at a later stage, these factors stress, efforts will be intensified on the basis of pre-pandemic preparations in various areas. Already, a special form has been released with information on the most important monasteries and churches of the province. The purpose of the form, distributed free of charge, is to inform visitors and especially Russians who, as Orthodox people, show a strong interest in monuments of religious interest.

The initiators of the effort point out that it was de facto impossible to include all the churches and religious monuments of Paphos in this form, but the visitor is given the opportunity to know the long history of the place, following in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul.

The need for the movement of a tour guide arose from the great interest of tourists, mainly Russians, for pilgrimage tours, for this form trek is in Russian and includes a road map for more complete information.

"European and Russian visitors are looking to the destinations of their choice for original experiential experiences," these factors observed. "In the face of this international trend, Paphos opens horizons to new forms of tourism by following a different way of organizing from the traditional model of tourism, namely "Sun - sea - hospitality".

Paphos, its operators point out, rightly prides itself on having managed to develop various alternative forms of tourism aimed at enriching the tourist product and softening seasonality.

"An interesting form of alternative tourism to which we attach particular importance", they concluded, "is religious tourism. Year after year there has been an increase in tourists from eastern and religiously Orthodox countries, mainly from Russia."

 

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