Paphos Life

I suspect I know the answer to this but my wife and I need to visit the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions, and I understand that this is permissible on any day. But, as we are trying to limit our time away from home, we wanted to also pick up some food essentials. My understanding is that we cannot send a second SMS for permission on the same day, which means we will have to make another journey tomorrow.

Have I got this right, or are visits to doctors and pharmacies permissible extras?

I think that Doctors and Pharmacies could be classed in the same visit, I believe shopping being in a different category could not be done on the same trip...
However, if you are over 65 ? why not use two separate forms and if you are stopped present which ever one you are on your way to..

Thanks as ever, Trev. We want to abide by the rules whilst minimising visits to Polis.

I think you need two trips then.. But it seems a shame as it is another trip out which could be saved..
But I appreciate you sticking to the rules..

I thought on the form you are allowed to fill in 2 items, like 1 for pharmacy and 2 for essentials. Isn't that correct?

LouiseCastricum wrote: ↑Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:34 am I thought on the form you are allowed to fill in 2 items, like 1 for pharmacy and 2 for essentials. Isn't that correct?

Yes, I've done it and it was accepted at a control.

However, the SMS permit will only allow one selection & for just once in a day. I guess though, that unless you were stopped as you left the pharmacy and you'd selected '2' then you'd as likely get fined. (& vice versa of course)

You are not allowed to use two separate forms in a day. The rules are actually very simple.

One form

or

One SMS

Anything else, and you are breaking the rules.

You can go to the doctors and the chemists on the same trip, as that is covered under option 1.

You cannot go to the doctors and go to the supermarket.

There were reports on social media recently of pensioners boasting at takeaways that they can go out as many times as they want because of their forms. This does not put them in good light. The rest of the population is bending over backwards to protect these people. This sort of action causes nothing but resentment and contempt.

While I am here, a shout out to the old British lady who barged past my wife at 1PM in Lidl in order to get her vegetables. You are an idoitic woman.

NB: none of this is directed at anybody on this forum. I am not having a go at anybody here.

I find it illogical that we are supposed to limit each outing to one type of permission.

In our case it is practical to go out once a week to do a food shop and eg check the PO Box, go to the pharmacy, Bank ATM in one round trip for health and economical reasons.

We each complete a form and just tick the box or write down in section 8 what each of us is doing on that particular occasion - policeman was happy with that when we were checked.

I think someone posted a week or so ago that they had permission to go shopping. But they went to the ATM at a bank on the way and got stopped by the police. The police certainly said it was not allowed, but i can't remember if they were actually fined ..

The rules are what they are. Whether any of us find them illogical or not, that is what they are.

I guess my points are:

1. if you do bend the rules, don't boast about it on social media or to takeaway owners.
2. Don't barge past my wife to get your vegetables, you horrible old bag.*

* this only applies if you were the horrible old bag who barged past my wife.

Dominic wrote: ↑Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:59 am You cannot go to the doctors and go to the supermarket.

On the twice I was controlled on the same form with both ticked, the police approved it tacitly.

I don’t agree people are flouting the rules, more that the wording on the form is unclear, it states ‘for the following reasons’ which is plural therefore indicating you could do more than one thing per outing. Those who have to use SMS seem to be stuck with only one option though.

The other week we completed our forms ticked 1 and 2 and happily went off to the pharmacy to pick up prescription, to vets for cats medication, on to supermarket followed by the butchers, and for good measure included a stop at an ATM! I would stress we thought we were abiding by the rules combining all our shopping for the whole week, good job we were not stopped as could have been an expensive trip!

Having since read comments on here we are doing it differently now though. We did our supermarket shop early this week and one of us will go locally to get milk and fresh veg towards the weekend before the Easter closures. Other than that going absolutely nowhere but the garden.

Let’s hope we all get let out for good behavior sometime soon!!! In the meantime you all take care out there.

Pharmacy visited and returned home safely. We were passed by three police cars in Polis and one actually stopped at the pharmacy. As we have honest faces, they waved and that was that.

Devil wrote: ↑Thu Apr 16, 2020 11:31 am

Dominic wrote: ↑Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:59 am You cannot go to the doctors and go to the supermarket.

On the twice I was controlled on the same form with both ticked, the police approved it tacitly.

Yes, but open to different interpretations at different checkpoints.

I just wish all these rules were clear and based upon common sense and I am sure that the majority would abide by them.

Seems to be some confusion regarding age for certain procedures:

60+ can use the designated times to go shopping at supermarkets, pharmacies, banks etc.

65+ can complete either a form or send a SMS to go out.

This is Cyprus! Maybe do what you do, but don’t shout about it. Just be sensible.
Always very polite and cooperate with any police.

Dee

trevnhil wrote: ↑Thu Apr 16, 2020 10:24 am I think someone posted a week or so ago that they had permission to go shopping. But they went to the ATM at a bank on the way and got stopped by the police. The police certainly said it was not allowed, but i can't remember if they were actually fined ..

That was me posting what happened to a college of my neighbour. Meanwhile I got an update from him (previously I had only been told by another neighbour). His collegue was drawing cash from an ATM 20 m from the supermarket before walking to there. A policeman saw it and gave him a warning but didn´t actually make him pay (in contrast to what I had initially been told).

Well, I had understood that the main (sole) reason for these restrictions and prior permission is to keep as many people at home as possible for as long as possible.
So when I have been going out to help a friend with chemo, I have done shopping, got cash, visited pharmacy, whatever necessary, all during the one trip to avoid unnecessary further trips on subsequent days.
If I have to use my one SMS per day for only one thing, then I will be out more often. There is no rubbish collection from my house, I have to drive to the nearest green bins, so that would be an 8 then.
Taking my non driving friend for essential blood test, that's a 5.
Picking up items from pharmacy is a 1.
Food shopping is a 2.
Cash from ATM is a 3.
So what you are saying is that, technically, I should be going out for 5 days in succession in order to accomplish all the above ... instead of lumping it all under 5 as with the exception of the rubbish, my friend also needs to visit pharmacy, supermarket, ATM ....

Technically, yes you should, if you want to be certain of avoiding a fine.

I would like to point out though that I am speaking in a capacity of messenger, so there is no reason to shoot me.

One other point, whatever people do decide to do, it is best not to broadcast the fact on social media or boast about it at takeaways.

(Again I am not saying that anybody here has been boasting about it at takeaways yada yada yada)