Front Page Headlines
Friends from a distance to stay healthy
New decree ordains distance of one meter in our social contacts. Only disabled, vulnerable and over 60 in pharmacies and supermarkets until 10 in the morning. Another 8 confirmed new cases. More doctors and nurses in quarantine.
- Soldiers guard isolation centers: “Halt who’s there” on quarantine – Satisfactory conditions for all those in obligatory isolation in hotels
- Ursula opened the wallet: There’s money… in the EU
- Tourism: Worse even than 1974
A breath of liquidity of 1,5 billion euro
State guarantees plan for low interest loans for businesses and self-employed. Public debt not directly affected. (Plan) will cover businesses that were healthy before the coronavirus.
- Virus now dangerously spreading in society – 75 cases after the 8 new yesterday
- Airports closed: They bring Cypriots from Britain with three charter flights
- They wanted to “trim down” Akinci in Cyprus Problem
- They were looking for houses for 500 refugees (displaced) in a hurry
- Tasoula Hadjittofi the Woman of the Year for 2020
Hospitals shuttered after the fact!
Three state and two private hospitals in quarantine. TAEP (Accident and Emergency Department) services limited. Eight new confirmed cases, a total of 75.
- Arrival of ship with 100 refugees off the coast of Cape Greco
‘Stay at home’ minister begs
Ioannou warned if people don’t obey, more drastic steps would be taken as virus cases reach 75.
- Confirmed Covid-19 case at police headquarters in Nicosia
- Cyprus: Flurry of repatriation flights as lockdown kicks in
We are strong against coronavirus
Minister of Health denies health system collapse. We have the necessary equipment and our hospitals are staffed by fully trained personell, so that it (the system) would be in the position to respond competently.
- For the first time: We turned back boat with 100 migrants, because of coronavirus
Main News
Eight new cases in government controlled areas raise additional concerns
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Internal Security, Human Rights, CBMs, Migration & Citizenship
OVERVIEW
The dailies report on the eight new cases of coronavirus infection identified in the government controlled areas on Friday, which bring the number of cases in the south up to 75. The new cases were located through tracking contacts of confirmed coronavirus infections. The dailies also report that 33 incidents had been found so far in the occupied areas.
The epidemiologists assigned by the government’s response team to inform the public pointed out that two of the cases located have not yet been connected to any pre-existing case, which causes fresh concerns regarding the ability of the state to limit the spread of the virus.
Phileleftheros notes that several of these new instances are medical staff working in the Paphos General Hospital as well as in a private hospital. An incident was also found for the first time in the Police.
The dailies also report on the decision by the government of the Republic of Cyprus to turn back a boat of migrants that had been seeking to land at Cape Greco in the government controlled areas. The boat, carrying about 100 people, had departed from Turkey. According to Alithia, the boat of migrants was turned back due to concerns that some of the refugees and migrants could be infected with the coronavirus.
Politis reports on the increased measures against the coronavirus, including the decision that the army would guard hotels that have been designated as quarantine areas, as well as the decision that only older people and others belonging in vulnerable groups will be allowed in pharmacies and supermarkets before 10 am.
The newspaper also reports that conditions in the quarantined hotels have been improved, and that there will be an increase in quarantine locations as more Cypriots repatriate. More than 600 people were quarantined in hotels in the Limassol area on Friday, the newspaper notes.
Politis notes that, even though Thursday’s meeting of the National Council ended without major disagreements, this hasn’t stopped political party leaders from making additional suggestions and criticisms.
AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou suggested that the Minister of Health should use the labs in the University of Cyprus to lighten the workload of the Institute for Genetics and Neurology which is the only place conducting coronavirus tests. He also said that the opposition party reserves its opinion regarding government’s measures to support businesses and workers until it has been officially anounced. When asked by Alpha TV to comment on the governemnt’s earlier decisions regarding the closure of checkpoints, Kyprianou noted that the virus didn’t come to Cyprus through the checkpoints but through airports and hospitals.
DIKO leader Nikolas Papadopoulos said that the 1420 helpline is constantly busy and pointed out that more coronavirus tests need to be made available. He also called on the government to support workers and businesses.
Phileleftheros and Cyprus Mail also report on measures taken by UNFICYP to contain the coronavirus, citing statements made by the force’s spokesperson Aleem Siddique to the Cyprus News Agency. Siddique said that all new personnel will undergo a period of 14 days of isolation before taking up their duties. He added that all civilian staff has been instructed to work from home wherever possible.
Siddique also told the Cyprus Mail that the peace keeping mission is continuing its patrols and remains in contact with both sides, also making sure that necessary humanitarian deliveries to G/Cs living in the north continue uninterrupted.
Alithia and Cyprus Mail report on a statement made by the religious leaders of Cyprus. The head of the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus, the Mufti, and the heads of the Armenian and Maronite Churches state that they join their voices and prayers in the fight against the pandemic. The religious leaders also call on all to keep to the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation and national authorities.
Haravgi and other dailies also report on developments in the north, reporting on “prime minister” Ersin Tatar’s statement concerning the projected loss of jobs due to the crisis. Tatar said that the T/C authorities wanted to send back to Germany a group of tourists which included the first cases in the north, but that the German embassy in Cyprus insisted that they first be quarantined for 14 days. Tatar also said that people that are known to have come to Cyprus from abroad will be fined if they exit their homes before their mandate self-quarantine is over.
According to the same reports, about 300 T/C college students that have returned from the UK have been isolated in a hotel in the Kyrenia region.
North’s far-right attempts to remove negotiations remit from Akinci
Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process, Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
Phileleftheros reports that far-right Rebirth Party (YPD), known as the “party of the settlers” due to its popularity with people that are originally from Turkey, attempted to essentially strip T/C leader Mustafa Akinci of his mandate to take part in Cyprus Problem negotiations.
The proposal was tabled by the two YDP deputies during a discussion in “parliament” on postponing the April 26 “presidential” elections until October due to the coronavirus crisis. The party’s leader, Erhan Arikli, noted that Akinci should be prevented from taking any unilateral steps concerning the Cyprus Problem before the election and suggested that the T/C leader should be required to seek the approval of the “parliament” before any such move.
Phileleftheros notes that such a decision would have been pointless seeing as no one expects any developments in the Cyprus Problem before October due to the current situation. The newspaper cites a translation of reports from the T/C press provided by the Press and Information Office.
The newspaper reports that YDP’s proposal was not accepted and that the postponment of the election was approved by the “parliament” with 41 positive votes. Only the two deputies of YDP voted against the proposal since their amendment had not been accepted.
Phileleftheros notes that the major parties decided to reject YDP’s proposal also due to the fact that they hope to take over the “presidency” after the elections and would not a future T/C leader to be restricted by the will of the “parliament”. The newspaper also highlights a statement made during the plenary by Serdar Denktas, former leader of the Democratic Party (DP), who noted that the “parliament” had attempted to do the same thing against his father and former T/C leader, Rauf Denktas.