Following a meeting of the Council of Minister, Prime Minister Ersin Tatar has announced the following measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. So far only one German tourist has tested positive for the virus and she is now in isolation at Nicosia State Hospital.
- All schools approved by the Ministry of Education which are closed until Sunday, March 15, schools will be disinfected.
- Transitions of groups of over ten tourists from south to north have been stopped.
- Quarantine measure in three hotels is continuing.
- Disinfection has begun in all museums and ruins in the Famagusta region.
- All charter flights to the country have been suspended until 1 April.
Tatar said that the government continues to take the necessary steps in line with the recommendations of experts on coronavirus, where serious measures are taken all over the world.
1. Holiday has been declared until Sunday, March 15, 2020, including all schools, kindergartens and universities approved by the Ministry of Education. During this holiday, all school buildings and student transport vehicles will be disinfected by special technical teams.
2. Children’s festivals, children’s and youth camps and all school events and competitions are prohibited until 15 March 2020.
3. Mass transitions to be carried out from Southern Cyprus with buses exceeding 10 people for touristic trips, rites and similar purposes in the TRNC are suspended until 15 March 2020.
4. The quarantine implementation of the hotels where the coronavirus has been diagnosed continues. Quarantine will be lifted, depending on the situation.
5. Special teams formed by the Ministry of Health and civil defence teams have started to disinfect all customs crossing points.
6. Famagusta Municipality started to disinfect all touristic and historical sites within the borders of Famagusta district.
UPDATE: 7. Charter Flights to the TRNC from Italy, France and Germany are temporarily suspended until 1 April.
Citizens are urged not to cross the border to the south or travel abroad unless absolutely necessary.
It also pointed out that delays could be experienced at crossing points but that that no concessions will be made for the public’s health and safety.
Yeni Duzen, BRT
