Front Page Headlines
Health Minister Pilli gets angry: ‘Do we have 5000 PCR tests? No, we don’t’
Enough! People should stop interfering in each other’s business. Health Minister Ali Pilli was outraged by statements made by the head of the Covid-19 Coordination Council Sibel Siber that they will be carrying out 15,000 tests. He said people should stop thinking about themselves and should start thinking about the public. Pilli added, “Will we be sure if all 15,000 (rapid) tests come back negative that they are truly negative? What will we do if 5000 are positive? How will we be sure? We need to carry out PCR tests on all of them. Do we have that many test kits? No, we don’t.” He said that they will be focusing their efforts on investigating ‘ghost’ cases.
- Two cases from Riverside (quarantine) hotel, 75 workers are being quarantined – Alscancak Mayor Fırat Ataser said that two of the three cases which tested positive yesterday (Friday) were Riverside Hotel workers. He announced that all 75 personnel at the hotel will be quarantined.
- 275 tests in the north, three new cases
- 819 tests in the south, 31 new cases
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Two thousand businesses, 15,000 workers in danger
Head of RES-BİR (Turkish Cypriot Restaurateurs Association) Salih Kayım said restaurants including food-delivery services, will not be open to service until all the other establishments and the public sector are open. Opening of the restaurants now would only result in the collapse of the sector and the workers losing their jobs. Kayım noted he has had meetings with Labour Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu and Public works minister Tolga Atakan and said RES-BİR is working on a plan on how to revive the restaurant sector following the crisis. “We do not any money or tax reductions from the state either,” Kayım said.
- The measures are halting the already inactive economy – The Petrol Station Owners’ Association reacted to the government’s economic measures.
- “Stop unfair decisions and measures” – İŞAD (Turkish Cypriot Businessmen’s Association issued its final warning to the government and said if the cabinet does not change its decisions, there will be chaos in the north.
- “Some of the businesses must reopen after 17 April” – Economy and Energy Minister Hasan Taçoy said some of the businesses must resume work as long as they can ensure adherence to certain standards identified by the health ministry and the Covid-19 Coordination Council.
- “We will starve if we don’t work” – Two female students, who spoke to Kıbrıs said they are not able to follow the online courses being carried out because they have to work and earn a living.
- Three new cases in the north.
Terrifying panic
The government’s attempt to create a perception that it has done a good job in managing the crisis went south on Friday evening when a worker at the Riverside Hotel used as a quarantine facility tested positive for coronavirus. All 74 hotel personnel will be placed in quarantine now. Alsancak (Karavas) Mayor Fırat Ataser said: “We warned the officials but they did not listen to me.” Health Minister Ali Pilli had to give a statement on Bayrak at midnight to confirm reports contradicting his earlier statement.
- Those with medical reports were self-isolating at home for 14 days – Public Works and Communication Minister Tolga Atakan spoke about the quarantine process and the charter flights on Havadis web TV.
- The first case at UNFICYP (UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus) – The UN peacekeeper, whose coronavirus test came back positive, has been isolated.
- The last flight landed at Ercan (Tymbou) airport – The last plane carrying 119 Turkish Cypriots landed at Ercan (Tymbou) airport on Friday afternoon.
₺75m (€10.2m) to be paid
50,000 people with social insurance to receive an unemployment salary of ₺1500 (€204) as of May 4. Minister of Labour and Social Security Faiz Sucuoğlu said that not only TRNC and Turkish citizens but third-country nationals will also benefit from unemployment pay as long as they have social insurance. Sucuoğlu said that a total of ₺75m (€10.2) will be paid in pay, all of which will be met from the ministry’s own budget and resources. 50,000 people who have money in the provident fund will also be allowed to draw out ₺2000 (€273) for five months.
- Just the right time – According to a Kuwaiti doctor, Molokhia prevents coronavirus from growing.
- Two of them are Vietnamese workers –The total number of cases in North Cyprus reaches 99 with three new cases.
- Virus hits hospitals – Cases in South Cyprus reaches 595 with 31 new cases.
- Loss of life 6000 – 4747 new cases in Turkey, reaching 47,029.
- Median age 65 – It has been announced that one out of every four patients in South Cyprus requires treatment.
Enough
Health Minister Ali Pilli lashed out against those in the administration who refuses to understand the risks of arranging repatriation flights. Pilli said the flights are high-risks and must be stopped immediately during his briefing and added the latest three cases are people that have come from abroad.
- Everyone to be paid the same salary – Is it going to be like in the ’60s? Kudret Özersay said, “we might end up in a situation in which we all receive the same salary.” (Finance Minister) Olgun Amcaoğlu had said earlier “Whatever we have will be shared equally.”
- 119 Turkish Cypriots return to the north – The plane that took off from Ankara landed at Ercan (Tymbou) airport on Friday afternoon.
- 150 Cypriots passed away in the UK – 95 Greek Cypriots, 55 Turkish Cypriots died as a result of coronavirus in the UK.
- 31 new cases in the south – The total number of cases in the south reached 595.
- Sent home instead of being quarantined – An 83-year-old woman who returned from the UK was sent to her home in Kumyalı (Koma tou Gialou).
- Curfew in 31 cities in Turkey – A full curfew was imposed in 31 cities including Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir until Monday.
Main News
Three new cases, Pilli admits not enough tests for mass screening
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
Three new Covid-19 cases were confirmed in the north on Friday.
Turkish Cypriot Health Minister Pilli, giving a daily update on Bayrak said the repatriation of Turkish Cypriots must be stopped as this is proving to be a great risk.
He noted one of the three cases is among the latest arrivals from the UK and the other two had been in quarantine for a while.
The total number of cases in the north has reached 99 with the latest three and with the 275 tests administered on Friday, 3890 tests have been done to date.
He also blasted recommendations made earlier by the head of the Covid-19 Coordination Council Sibel Siber who argued that it was necessary to carry out a mass screening campaign.
Pilli said that this was not feasible as they did not have enough PCR testing kits which was the only reliable way of confirming Covid-19 patients.
He added that people should stop creating an atmosphere of hysteria and should concentrate on implementing the measures in place.
Pilli, in a second update on Bayrak at Friday midnight, said that two of three cases were from the Riverside Hotel in Alsancak (Karavas). Denouncing all the rumours about a person sneaking out of the quarantine in Lapta (Lapithos), Pilli urged people not to believe false reports.
He also said that the students who had remained in mandatory quarantine at the hotel and who were exercising self-isolation at home for another seven days should continue their isolation for another week.
Mayor of Alsancak (Karavas) Fırat Ataser, who had been harshly criticized when he protested the authorities move to convert Riverside Hotel into a quarantine facility, announced on Friday evening that the 75 personnel at the hotel will be placed under quarantine for 14 days as a result of the two positive cases.
Ataser reminding his objections against the move expressed his outrage against the cabinet.
In another development, 119 Turkish Cypriots were repatriated from Ankara on Friday.
Public Works and Communication Minister Tolga Atakan said those who arrived will spend their 14-day quarantine period at a student dormitory in northern Nicosia.
He also added this was the last repatriation flight from the time being.
Atakan also clarified reports concerning repatriated people who were sent home instead of being place in a quarantine facility.
Atakan told Havadis, those with medical resorts, and unique medical conditions were sent to their homes for self-isolation.
He said that these individuals were not even allowed to step out into the garden of their homes.
“We shall not show any tolerance to these individuals when it comes to maintaining quarantine conditions. Should we detect anyone violating their quarantine conditions, they will be immediately sent to a hospital where they will be placed under quarantine,” he said.
Atakan also explained that a total of 8 charter flights had been arranged in the past month to repatriate citizens.
He said 1680 people had been quarantined, 18,000 entries and 56,000 departures in the last 30 days.
Atakan also said that the situation needed to stabilize before Turkish Cypriots who passed away aboard could be flown back to the country.
“Establish one centre in which all the data will be gathered and share it with the public,” Tufan Erhürman, leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP), said on Friday.
In a social media post, Erhürman criticized the cabinet and said the multiple centres, boards and councils established for the coronavirus pandemic will only result in the cabinet losing public support.
“There needs to be one centre otherwise the people will not trust you and when there is no confidence, it is not possible to manage the crisis,” Erhürman concluded.
The UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) on Friday also confirmed the first coronavirus case amongst its peacekeeping personnel.
In a statement issued from UNFICYP, the staff member had mild symptoms and was immediately put in isolation following testing positive.
“The individual is now being closely monitored by medical staff and the mission is conducting a robust process of contact tracing to prevent the further spread of the virus,” the statement read.
The statement also noted UNFICYP is working closely with the authorities to ensure all relevant protocols to prevent and to mitigate the risk of coronavirus are strictly adhered to.
Cabinet continues efforts for economic relief under fire from sectors
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security, Economy
OVERVIEW
“The government must stop implementing unfair decisions that will lead to the bankruptcy of the private sector,” İŞAD (Turkish Cypriot Businessmen’s Association) President Enver Mamülcü said on Friday.
In a written statement Mamülcü warned if not the country will lead into chaos.
“This crisis has actually presented the Turkish Cypriot community with an opportunity to redesign the structure in the north…We must not miss the opportunity to change the mentality that wants the continuation of the status quo,” Mamülcü stressed.
He added, “however the government insists on populist decisions making the public sector more attractive for the people.”
Mamülcü argued, as a result, the private sector is left on its own.
“As a result, the reactions to the government from the private sector will increase while some are calling for civil disobedience and some will give other reactions,” he said.
“This is our last call to those in power. Stop the unfair decisions that will result in the collapse of the private sector,” Mamülcü concluded.
Echoing a similar call made by İŞAD, the Petrol Station Owners’ Association in a statement on Friday, also argued that the cabinet’s economic relief package was inadequate.
“The cabinet should have adopted measures that will kick-start the wheels of the economy,” the association said.
Acknowledging the success in the health measures, the Association noted that the fuel oil sales have dropped by 50 per cent in March and will drop by 70 per cent by the end of April.
Nonetheless, the petrol stations are excluded from the payment deferrals given to closed businesses in the first relief package announced by the cabinet.
“The cabinet must consider measures that ensure that economic activity continues rather than slowing it down so that the private sector can withstand the economic crisis,” the association concluded.
Also on Friday, shopkeepers in Famagusta called on the cabinet to amend its measures.
“The economic measures adopted have pulled the plug for the shopkeepers and retailers,” the statement read.
The shopkeepers demanded the deferral period to be extended to a year in addition to easing the conditions and reducing interest rates regarding bank loans.
Meanwhile, the government on Friday continued to defend the measures, stating that it was doing all it could with the limited financial resources at hand.
“If needs be, we can implement an equal-pay system for all in the coming period,” Deputy Prime Minister Kudret Özersay told Diyalog TV on Friday.
Özersay said the politicians, who are on the top of the salary scales in the public sector, had already accepted salary cuts to 60 per cent.
“Whatever needs to be done will be done until we all overcome the economic strife,” Özersay said and recalled what the Finance Minister Olgun Amcaoğlu said regarding sharing all the limited resources available equally.
In another development, the AKSA private power plant, which had come under scrutiny for not taking any action to lower the cost of utilities in the north, donated ₺2.5m (€348000) on Friday to Dr Burhan Nalbantoğlu hospital to be used in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar, who received the donation, argued that economic activity would gradually pick up the pace if the coronavirus curve continued to remain flat.
Tatar expressed his belief that the Turkish Cypriot community will overcome the difficulties in solidarity.
He added that the cabinet will make all the effort to revitalize the economic dynamics in the north.
“The cabinet no doubt will make the necessary initiatives to try to turn the crisis into an opportunity but the private sector will also need to make the necessary adjustments to establish a stronger structure in the period after the pandemic,” Tatar concluded.
Earlier on Friday, the Turkish Cypriot Minister of Labour and Social Security Faiz Sucuoğlu had announced that all private-sector employees with social insurance will be paid a monthly sum of ₺1500 (€204) as of the beginning of May.
Sucuoğlu, speaking on a TV programme, said that third-country nationals will be able to receive the payments, irrelevant as to which sector they worked for, on the condition that their social insurance payments were in order.
He, however, added that Casino workers were not included in the scheme.
Following Sucuoğlu’s announcement, a large group of casino workers who organised over social media issued a warning to the government.
The group of workers that included Turkish Cypriots, Turkish and third-country nationals, demanded that they are also included in the support scheme.
The workers gave the cabinet until Monday to revise its policy and said otherwise they will hold a demonstration outside the prime minister’s office on Tuesday.
Cultural heritage preservation efforts also hit by Covid-19
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
CBMs, Human Rights, Internal security
OVERVIEW
Ali Tuncay, co-chair of the bicommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage on Friday said that all cultural heritage conversation projects, including urgent restoration works, had come to a grinding halt due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He said, unfortunately, no work would resume before the pandemic subsided.
“The Cephane (Quirini) Bastion restoration project and the restoration of the walls in the Arabahmet area are among the projects that have stopped but the threat of these walls collapsing increases by each day due to coronavirus,” Tuncay said.
Tuncay also highlighted the importance of adherence to the rules against Covid-19 to contain the virus.
“However, if we cannot get rid of the virus as a result of not obeying the rules, we are faced with the risk of not only losing our people but also losing our historical monuments,” Tuncay stressed and urged everyone to remain at their homes to protect both the Turkish Cypriot people and cultural heritage.