Front Page Headlines
The government said ‘partial’ (lockdown), the higher committee, complete shut down
Following 48 hours of disagreement with the Council of Ministers, the Higher Committee for Infectious Diseases announced its new decisions just before midnight. While the government announced a night-time curfew from January 17 between 10pm and 5am, the higher committee shut down all businesses, offices and workplaces, with the exception of essential services until January 31.
- There is an intention but no date – The date for early elections has yet to be identified.
We are closing again
The Council of Ministers declared a partial curfew due to surge in Covid-19 cases starting from today (Sunday). The Higher Committee for Infectious Diseases implemented radical decisions valid from January 18 to January 31. A curfew will be in place from 10pm to 5am as of today (Sunday) until January 25. According to the committee’s decisions, those working in the public sector other than the police, firefighters, health, civil aviation, electricity authority, municipalities, finance ministry, customs and excise office, will not go to work from January 18 to January 31. In the private sector, businesses other than the ones providing basic needs such as pharmacies, petrol stations, bakeries and supermarkets, will remain closed until January 31. Restaurants, patisseries, cafes and kiosks will only be open for takeaway and delivery services. Home visits are also prohibited.
- The increase in the minimum wage depends on new appointments – While the people trying to survive with ₺3,323 (€369), are awaiting an increase in the minimum wage, the continuing appointments due to the government change obstructs possible steps to be taken on the issue.
- 10,108 new cars on the roads – According to January-November 2020 data from the Vehicle Registration department, thousands added to the number of cars on the roads.
- Health workers are being vaccinated – The Health Ministry’s goal is to complete the vaccination for all health workers by Monday.
Everyone at home
The Council of Ministers imposed a night-time curfew. The Higher Health Committee shut down everywhere except for essential services until February 1. We have gone back to where we started. All restaurants, except for delivery services, cafes, bars, taverns, casinos and other entertainment venues will be shut down until February 1. Prime Minister Ersan Saner announced yesterday (Saturday) that the cost-of-living payments will be postponed for three months, the ₺100m (€11m) will be channelled to the private sector.
- Another loss of life –14 new cases in the north, 202 in the south.
Partial curfew
The Council of Ministers, which does not comply with the decisions of the Higher Committee for Infectious Diseases, went on its way… It is prohibited to go out from 10pm to 5am from January 17 until January 25. The partial curfew will be in effect tonight (Sunday). The re-opening of schools will be evaluated again on January 22. Saner said: “We have produced serious decisions by reserving the right to implement a lockdown.”
- Support for the two-state (model) from the UN? – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a letter sent to the two leaders, said: “He is ready to support changing the UN parameters, should the two agree to it.”
- Vaccination drive – Vaccination for the health workers expected to be concluded today (Sunday).
- Let’s share the burden – Economic organisations platform said they were ready for a lockdown if everyone was ready to share the economic burden.
Main News
Confusion reigns over conflicting virus measures
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
There was confusion and crisis in the north on Saturday after the government disagreed with the decision by the Higher Committee of Infectious Diseases to impose a lockdown as of Sunday midnight until the end of the month.
Even though earlier decisions and restrictions had expired on Friday, the Council of Ministers, following hours of heated discussions with the committee, refrained from announcing a full lockdown despite the alarming rise in the number of local cases.
Before the announcement of the new measures by the committee on Saturday, Prime Minister Ersan Saner announced that cabinet had decided to impose a curfew between 10pm and 5am as of Sunday and up to January 25.
Saner had said that the main goal was to protect public health, but at the same time, keep the economy alive. He said that schools would remain closed for another week and the cost-of-living increment which would have been reflected in January salaries had been postponed for three months.
Immediately afterwards, the government was mocked on social media as people questioned the rationale behind the night-time curfew.
The recommendations made by the Higher Committee for Infectious Diseases which had been leaked late Friday had called for stricter measures, including a two-week-long full lockdown.
The committee, just before midnight on Saturday, announced its own decisions in line with its earlier recommendations which included a lockdown of all businesses, public offices and schools with the exception of essential services.
Pharmacies, petrol stations, bakeries and supermarkets will remain open while restaurants will only offer delivery services.
All entertainment venues, cinemas, bars, cafes, coffee shops, picnic areas, sports facilities, stadiums, wedding halls, night clubs, casinos, bet offices, internet cafes, massage parlours, barbers, hairdressers, beauty parlours, tattoo studios, vegetable markets, libraries, exhibition halls will be closed until the end of the month.
All mass activities as well as home visits are also banned.
People who wish to go outside will need to obtain permits from the police and/or the district office, however, the committee did not elaborate on how the permits will be obtained.
Pupils and students living in the north but studying in the south and their parents will continue to be subject to quarantine until January 31.
The same applies to people living in the north and working in the south and people living in the south and working in the north.
People working in the UN, EU, British bases, buffer zone and for the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) will continue to be allowed to enter the north without quarantine provided they submit negative PCR test results not older than 72 hours. The same applies for people residing or working in Pile (Pyla).
People receiving treatment in the south can cross without being subject to quarantine, but they and their escorts must present negative coronavirus PCR tests not older than 72 hours upon their return to the north. Also, upon their return to the north, they must undergo PCR tests on the seventh and fourteenth days of their entry.
Turkish Cypriots who carry out contactless commercial activity via the Green Line Trade regulation are exempt from mandatory quarantine. The same exemption is also extended to Turkish Cypriot farmers who need to cross into the Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) to carry out their daily farming activities.
The committee announced that only ambulances will be allowed to use the Pyrgos/Yeşilırmak crossing point while everyone else will be subject to quarantine. It also decided to extend the semester break for students until January 31, while keeping all tuition centres and similar institutions closed until the end of the month.
The committee, in a new measure, decided to impose stricter rules for lorry drivers, who enter the north through ports. The drivers are required to present a negative PCR test obtained within the last 72 hours upon boarding the ship and will be subjected to a second PCR test at arrival. The lorry drivers will only be allowed to drive to their destinations after two negative PCR tests but must unload their lorry and leave the north within 48 hours of their entry.
The committee will re-evaluate the measures implemented on January 23.
In the meantime, it remained unclear on Saturday which of the conflicting measures announced by the government and the committee would be implemented.