Front Page Headlines
Covid facilities are ramped up
Extensions are underway as new wards open in Nicosia, Paphos and Limassol.
- Poll shows majority are in favour of tight measures
- ABBA’s journey began 50 years ago this week, in Varosha
- Business: Why is Cyprus continuing to ignore good offers for LNG?
“Rescue plan” by Brussels
Unfinished business between northerns and southerners and Macron’s approach. Citizens ask for the renewal of the measures. Poll: 70% still consider a total lockdown is a necessity.
- Energy sector: Drilling in the EEZ also in “quarantine”
- Zena Lysandrou Panagidi: A different quarantine in the times of EOKA
- Xenis X. Xenofontos: The modern message of the EOKA epic
Cyprus applauds its new heroes
Poll by RetailZoom for “P”. Health professionals applauded for second consecutive week by 95% of citizens. Government’s support measuers for businesses and workers have high approval. Approval of limits on movement falling. Admission by the majority that those (measures) are not followed. 73% agrees with measures.
- Investigation: The unknown guns of EOKA – Small stories of action from the Cypriot struggle through analysing the usage of two guns
Deep recession, war conditions
Economy minister C. Petrides, puts his cards on the table to “P” – Every available means mustered. Exclusive interview. Recession bigger than 10%. Coffers empty. (Debt) guarantees necessary.
- Nese Yasin (interview): My motherland
- Russia determines the future of professional services
- Erdogan prefers storms – What are Ankara’s next steps – Will they start from Cyprus or Greece?
- Turkey prepares for the day after the pandemic
Respirators and masks determine the battle’s outcome
Commision and private sectors are allies of Nicosia while ministry of health brings 3 million worth of masks to cover the entire population. A high tech ventilator costs from 25,000 to 50,000 dollars.
- Politics: Coronavirus takes on political colors
- Occupied areas: They want a “national salvation government”
- Andros Kyprianou: Public health was unprepared
On the front line without the basics
- Deepening polarisation in Turkey
First breath of relief in days
Yesterday’s news from epidemiologist team relatively good. Streak of deaths broke, cases comparatively reduced, however experts point out that it is soon to talk of any indications, we will need a few more days and the next week will be important.
- Carpasites: Now also enclaved by the coronavirus
- Analysis: Coronavirus pandemic, another political weapon
Main News
Government focuses coronavirus testing in Paphos and Aradippou
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Kathimerini
Internal Security, Human Rights, CBMs, Governance & Power Sharing, Economy
The Cypriot government is now focusing its efforts and testing in the coronavirus hotspots that have been identified in the Paphos district and in the town of Aradippou. Haravgi reports that the authorities will conduct 1,000 tests in Paphos and another 525 in Aradippou, which borders the city of Larnaca.
The RNA testing started on Saturday with 186 tests in Paphos and will continue in both regions until Wednesday.
The newspaper also reports that new intensive case units have started operated in Paphos General Hospital.
Meanwhile, a national e-health platform has moved into the testing stage on Friday to follow all cases of COVID-19, starting with the two main hospitals in Nicosia and the Famagusta region. The Ministry for Health has announced that the platform will be expanded to all hospitals during the coming week.
Authorities reported on Saturday that there have been 30 new cases of the coronavirus in the government controlled areas. No new cases were reported on Saturday in the occupied areas.
Alithia reports that the results announced on Saturday are a short breath of relief since no deaths were recordede and since the number of new cases is reduced compared to the previous day.
In political news related to the coronavirus, AKEL secretary general Andros Kyprianou told Kathimerini in an interview that there was initially a delay in moving against the spread of the pandemic in Cyprus, and noted that public health had been weakened in previous years due to decisions taken on an EU level.
Kyprianou was asked whether the party’s reaction to the closure of some of the checkpoints was excessive given the fact that the virus proved to be a serious matter. He replied that the developments that followed showed that the blind spot was never the checkpoints, since the problems Cyprus is facing today are connected to inefficiencies in hospitals and airports.
Kyprianou also said that due to the situation, AKEL’s leadership conference that was scheduled for June will now take place in Novermber.
Kathimerini reports that due to the coronavirus crisis, T/C party leaders as well as T/C leader Mustafa Akinci, are considering pushing for a national unity “government”. The newspaper notes that the economic situation in the north has been affected by the coronavirus also due to the lack of visits by G/Cs that helped many small businesses with their purchases, citing the case of a pharmacist in occypied Nicosia.
According to the newspaper, a report prepared by a team of ecnomic advisors to Akinci, 32,000 T/C workers are in a critical condition, with 128,000 people being now close to the poverty line.
In this context, left opposition party CTP has suggested the creation of a national unity “government”. The proposal is seen positively by elements in the Ersin Tatar “government”, including by “foreign minister” Kudret Ozersay.
Alithia reports on the situation in the Karpasia peninsula, citing reports by inhabitants contacted via telephone, as well as G/C village leaders and mayors who live in the south. The enclaved are reported not to have an issue with getting adequate food provisions. The priest maintaining the Apostolos Andeas church, Father Zaharias, told Alithia that for the first time since 1974 he has had to suspend services due to the coronavirus.
Conflicting readings of Turkey’s foreign policy by analysts
Kathimerini, Phileleftheros, Simerini
External Security, Regional/ International Relations, Energy, Economy, EU Matters
Phileleftheros reports that Turkey is aiming to maintain tension with Greece and Cyprus, noting that Ankara has decided to move ahead with five drillings in the Easstern Mediterranean in 2020. The newspaper cites diplomatic sources that believe that Turkey will chose to “conservatively maintain” its plans in all fields.
According to the same information, Turkey will move with drillings in the area that has been agreed with Libya during the second half of 2020. If that plan does not move ahead because of Greece’s reactions, it is possible that Turkey will continue its drillings around Cyprus, the report adds.
Meanwhile Kathimerini reports that Turkey is currently in a difficult position, as seen from the perspective of analysts and officials in Athens. According to the report, written for the Greek edition of the newspaper, the coronavirus caused Turkey to pull back from its efforts on the migration issue and the crisis it caused on the borders with Greece, and has brought the situation in northern Syria at a standstill.
Greek military sources told Kathimerini that Turkey’s effort to cause a crisis failed due to the preparedness shown by Greece, both in maintaining the border closed as well as countering attempts by Turkey to spread fake news.
Haravgi points out in an analysis that Turkey is faced with a deepening polarisation due to the coronavirus. The report points out that the state of the economy is the greatest danger for Turkish President Tayip Erdogan since it can directly influence his popularity.
The newspaper cites Turkish political analysts that point out that the measures taken so far by the government point to the fact that Erdogan is prioritising the economy. However, Erdogan’s advisors appear convinced that the pandemic will not decisively affect Turkey. Additionally, government-friendly media are reported to be calling anyone who disagrees with the government’s measures as traitorous, thus further deepening the polarisation in the country.
Simerini reports that due to the effects of the coronavirus the Cypriot EEZ has also been effectively put into “quarantine”, noting that the drillings that had been scheduled to take place in plot 6 in April will now have to be postponed. The newspaper reports that the Ministry for Energy is expecting ENI and TOTAL to officially inform the government of their intentions, given the standstill in the energy sector globally.