Paphos Life

As Cyprus is set to ease restrictions to travellers from certain countries on Saturday, Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou warned that the battle against coronavirus continued and cases would emerge in the coming days....

Read the article and chat about it below...

Quote.. "All others have been placed in category C.

“To safeguard public health, it has been decided to carry out random tests, around 10 per cent to 15 per cent of travellers” to get a better picture of the situation and if necessary to review the decisions, the minister said.

“No other country as far as I know enforces such a practice.” Unquote..

So does this mean that travellers from the UK and all those in category 'C' can now come to Cyprus, but up to 15% will be tested ???????

No wonder the Minister warns to expect cases in coming days

''If Cypriot citizens follow the necessary steps, they should not be afraid of a second coronavirus wave, even if that occurs in Europe''....... ''citizens must remain vigilant and not become complacent, noting that the strategy of lifting restrictive measures depend to a great extent to citizens responsible behaviour, individual and collective responsibility''.

“If we are all socially responsible and take self-protection measures” Ioannou said, “we don’t have to be worried about the coronavirus, whether by imported or local transmission.” “If we overlook them (the measures) then the danger is always there”

''Referring to the danger of a second wave occurring, he said that experts’ opinions are divided, stressing that if Cypriots take the necessary measures they should not be afraid of a second wave, even if one occurs in Europe.

He also recalled that the scientific community in Cyprus and abroad has been stressing at every opportunity that a resurgence of the virus may take place in the coming months, adding that “we should not expect that we will stop having cases in Cyprus.”

https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/cypriot ... ary-steps/

Surely to Christ at least for a while EVERYBODY should be tested before they set foot in Cyprus? It only takes one person to slip through carrying the virus and we could be back to square one

I wonder if the 'visitors will be willing to act responsibly and wear masks and socially distance themselves? I somehow doubt it... I know that Cyprus needs tourism, but surely the Govt should also be taking some precautions with these visitors to limit the risk to the population here of the virus returning?

Dee

It is certainly a Gamble.. I am not totally happy about it, but there are also the economics of the country to think about.. A difficult balancing act

trevnhil wrote: ↑Sat Jun 20, 2020 8:07 pm It is certainly a Gamble.. I am not totally happy about it, but there are also the economics of the country to think about.. A difficult balancing act

Exactly, its easy for people to say what the Government should be doing, but if your in the tourist industry, you need to open, to keep people in work so they can provide for their family's......

To get a better picture I would suggest random tests on everyone in Cyprus.

I've just heard On BBC news that Spain is allowing everyone, Brits included, in to holiday without any tests! Usually you are right HIC, but I thought that I'd seen (in the CY Mail recently, that the cost for these tests was now €50? Wonder if visitors are tested, who will pay?

Dee

I heard on the news that the R number had gone up in Germany. It is now higher than the UK but Germany is in the group A for coming to Cyprus and we are still in C. Can't quite work out how they make the decisions as to who is allowed in and who isn't.

It could be because Germany is in the E.U. and Britain isn't ?

I think that I heard on the TV very recently about the new outbreak of Covid in Germany. Maybe Cyprus present ABC categories were decided just before this new event?

Dee

Flights arriving today from Tel Aviv yet Israel are having their second wave of the virus. Also planes from Athens, Thessaloniki & a flight from Lithuania. The government have done a great job here in Cyprus but it’s unrealistic to think we can live in a bubble for ever.

I don't think it's the tourists we need to be afraid of; just look at the locals all crowded in the coffee bars. They think it's all over, but it aint yet! Anyway as one of the 'vulnerable group, I'll be continuing to self isolate again once the flights come in in numbers.

brengreen wrote: ↑Sun Jun 21, 2020 11:16 am I heard on the news that the R number had gone up in Germany. It is now higher than the UK but Germany is in the group A for coming to Cyprus and we are still in C. Can't quite work out how they make the decisions as to who is allowed in and who isn't.

The reason for the rise of infections in Germany are outbreaks in several slaughter businesses, recently the largest German meat processing firm with ca 6500 staff, of which more than 1100 are infected after 3000 tests. Five days ago there were only new 220 cases in the whole of Germany....

https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germa ... a-53883372

Max (perhaps I should have posted that on Beyond Cyprus )

Happy in Cyprus wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2020 3:15 am

mike strand2 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 21, 2020 10:27 pmI don't think it's the tourists we need to be afraid of; just look at the locals all crowded in the coffee bars. They think it's all over, but it aint yet!

Sorry, but with just one new case in the past 6 days, I would suggest "it IS all over". I qualify that by saying "at this moment in time". It IS the repatriates who have been responsible for 80% of new cases over the past month. Very little indigenous transmission.

Of course things can, and will, change once tourists start arriving en-masse, as Cactuslil says.

A friend of my daughter is coming back to Cyprus from Israel where he has been trapped for the past 2 months. His family live here. Before coming here he has to take a €250 test and will likely also be tested again on arrival. Cyprus can't do much more than that.

You misunderstood me Lloyd. (I didn't want to write an essay!!

At this moment in time the locals are behaving like there's nothing to worry about anymore, for as you say, maybe they don't, as the number of infections is very low, but will these youngsters change their ways when the numbers do climb again? The Health Minister has warned of that likelihood. That's what I meant by 'It aint over yet.'

In view of the fact that Germany has re-imposed lockdown measures, will Cyprus still allow German visitors I wonder.

Reimposed lockdown in one area of Germany around Gutersloh involving 300k people.