Front Page Headlines
Tighter measures
Travel between districts banned. The Council of Ministers declared an extension of the partial curfew yesterday (Saturday) which includes a travel restriction between the various districts for five days commencing at 00:00 on 6 April.
- Police control for Lapta (Lapithos)-Alsancak (Karavas) – Prime Minister Ersin Tatar announced to Yenidüzen that they were introducing a new measure. He said that entry/exit to/from Lapta (Lapithos) and Alsancak (Karavas) will be carried out under police controls. He, however, added that the area was not under quarantine.
- 220 tests, no new cases.
- Dr Zafer Erdoğmuş: We have discharged two patients! We are proud.
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The corona circle tightens
In a new decree, the Council of Ministers extended the partial curfew including a restriction on travel between districts until 10 April. Additionally, the cabinet decided that all entry and exit into Lapta (Lapithos), Alsancak (Karavas) and Karşıyaka (Vasileia) will be controlled by the police.
- Lefke (Lefka) residents getting ready to block their road – The people of Lefke (Lefka) want entry and exit into the town to be restricted but no one responded to their demand. The District officer, mayor and the mukhtars from Lefke (Lefka) will table the issue again.
- Opportunists given no chance – The trade department carried out inspections at 653 businesses. The department launched a detailed investigation into 75 import companies and issued ₺76,400 (€10,500) worth of fines to shops.
- There are still people endangering the public’s health – Despite the difficulties the TRNC is experiencing, there are people who have yet to grasp the seriousness of the issue. 370 have been booked for violating the partial curfew from 23 March to 3 April and another 175 violated the night-time street curfew.
- No new positive cases in the north. 220 tests carried out in the last 24 hours.
- 30 new cases in the south. The total number of cases is 426.
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This is no joke
Three important veteran politicians in the TRNC said that the government had been too late in taking some of the health measures and argue that the economic measures are insufficient. They fear that hunger will lead to a social explosion.
- Nicosia leading with first place – Police booked 176 people during five days of controls for violating street curfew.
- It will remain in force until 10 April – Travel between districts will be restricted as of midnight tonight (Sunday).
- All came back clean – 220 tests were carried out in North Cyprus, no cases.
- Punishments increased – The number of cases in South Cyprus rose to 426 with the latest cases.
- Loss of life 501 – The total number of cases in Turkey reached 23,934 with 1013 new cases recorded.
- Their names were not disclosed – Two Turkish Cypriot living in Limassol were caught with 10kgs of drugs.
Travelling from one district to another is prohibited
The partial curfew declared on 22 March has been broadened. According to a decision adopted by the Council of Ministers prohibited travelling from one district to another for five days starting from midnight on 6 April. In other words, the districts are now closed to one and another.
- Doctors’ test came back negative – Even though the test results were initially announced as positive, Kudret Özersay said the ‘rapid’ test sometimes can give false results. The negative results were obtained through the PCR testing.
- Akıncı calls for social distancing – Akıncı urged the public to maintain a certain distance from others when outside.
- NEU manufactures an alternative respirator – The Near East University (NEU) Innovation Centre designed and manufactured the prototype of an alternative respiratory machine for patients.
- 30 new cases in the south – No new cases in the north. 220 tests administered yesterday (Saturday).
Main News
Cabinet tightens measures despite no new cases reported
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
Tighter measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus were adopted in the north on Saturday despite an announcement by the Turkish Cypriot Health Minister Ali Pilli that no new cases had been detected.
The cabinet announced on Saturday night that travel between the six districts would be restricted for five days starting at 00:00 6 April.
It also announced that the partial curfew was extended and will remain in place until April 10.
Pilli said in his daily update on Bayrak no positive cases were recorded in 220 tests conducted on Saturday, including tests carried out on medical staff and doctors.
Responding to a question on the medical supplies, Pilli said 2500 ‘rapid’ rests, 500 ‘PCR test kits’, 3000 protective gowns, eight new ventilators and ten monitors had arrived from Turkey.
Pilli also said a total of 263 people arrived through the air and seaports in the north on Saturday, all of whom had been placed quarantined facility.
Earlier in the day, Public works and communication minister Tolga Atakan had announced 184 Turkish Cypriots had arrived at the Ercan (Tymbou) airport as part of the repatriation efforts.
In a social media post, Atakan said the plane has landed and the passengers will be taken to the central quarantine facility- this time the Colony Hotel in Kyrenia. Additionally, 150 parcels of medical supplies and equipment were also delivered in the same plane.
In a separate development, authorities on Saturday declared Lapta (Lapithos), Alsancak (Karavas) and Karşıyaka (Vasileia) that entry/exit to/from the area would be subject to police controls.
The news was confirmed by Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar only to be made official hours later when it was published as a government decree.
In the meantime, President Akıncı renewed his appeal to the public on Saturday
“We have to be careful and maintain our social distance in the fight against the coronavirus. We must not hide any information from the authorities and take the Health Ministry as the sole source of information against disinformation,” Akıncı said in a video posted online.
He renewed his call to people to remain at their homes and refrain from actions that might contribute to the spread of the virus.
“The Turkish Cypriot people continue the fight against the deadly virus with significant commitment, self-sacrifice and with serious responsibility,” Akıncı concluded.
Sibel Siber, head of the Prime Ministry Covid-19 Coordination Council, on Saturday urged the people to participate in the Turkish Cypriot Doctors’ Association (KTTB) online coronavirus check.
Siber said the goal of the questionnaire was to create a database on health.
She noted that the data obtained and the privacy of the participants would be safeguarded by the Health Ministry and the KTTB.
“Face masks are not the only way to protect yourself from the virus. Maintaining social distance and personal hygiene are very important elements too,” Umut Öksüz, head of the Turkish Cypriot Pharmacists’ Association, said on Saturday.
In a written statement, Öksüz urged the people to ask pharmacists regarding how they should use face masks and on personal hygiene.
Öksüz noted that social distancing is one of the most effective ways of protection against the virus.
In another development, Rebirth Party (YDP) leader Erhan Arıklı criticised the cabinet for adopting decisions only to revoke them or to amend them.
In a social media post on Saturday, Arıklı argued that the cabinet’s frivolous attitude on adopting measures had rendered the opposition parties, the parliament and the constitution ineffective.
“The cabinet resembles the politburo of the iron curtain times, adopting any decision they like by disregarding the opposition parties,” Arıklı claimed.
The YDP leader urged the cabinet to be more forthcoming in sharing information with the opposition parties in the parliament.
4+1 package for the private sector to be announced next week
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security, Economy
OVERVIEW
“The details of ae 4+1 relief package for the private sector workers, including the third-country nationals, will soon be finalised and announced,” Labour Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu said on Saturday.
Speaking on a programme on Bayrak, Sucuoğlu said the relief package will be made up of four parts which will include funds allocated from the Provident Fund, ₺1500 (€208) monthly support, Social security and Provident Fund payment deferrals for the businesses that closed down and the prevention of laying-off personnel.
“The plus one (+1) element of the package will be for the third-country nationals employed in the private sector,” the minister said.
Responding to a question on the monthly support payment, Sucuoğlu said the undersecretaries of the prime ministry, finance ministry, labour ministry and the economy ministry are working on finalising the details of the measure.
He added the Labour ministry’s target is to be able to make payments by the end of April.
He noted that the monthly contributions given to the third-country nationals will likely to be lower than the announced figure of ₺1500 (€208) as many of them stay at housing provided by the hotels and receive three-course meals daily.
“Our goal is to minimise the effects of the economic crisis as much as we can to make a salary contribution to nearly 50,000 workers,” Sucuoğlu concluded.