Tourists will not need to send SMSs - Update 3 More Clarification

[galexinda]

https://cyprus-mail.com/2021/04/06/coro ... send-smss/

'Tourists are exempt from sending an SMS before going out it emerged on Tuesday but must observe the curfew.

According to sources within the industry, tourists arriving in Cyprus will receive a filled-out form, called ‘declaration of movement’, from their travel agents or the hotels they are staying in as confirmation and will be allowed to be out between 6am and 11pm'.

[trevnhil]

I was just about to post the same thing.. It really is ridiculous now .. Why not issue a similar form to those of us living here who have had both injections

[galexinda]

Why have movement permissions at all?
There cannot be one rule for visitors and another for residents.

[trevnhil]

There shouldn't be... BUT THERE IS

[jagwheels]

Information about holidays to Cyprus is confusing me so rang the Athena Beach. Sorry sir all Constantinou Hotels are closed & we don't know when we are able to open. End of story

[Kili01]

Tourists probably wouldn't be able to send an SMS, unless they switched to a local sim card for their mobile. Guessing that probably most wouldn't bother.....

And we shouldn't have to keep sending an SMS every time we go out.

Dee.

[Kili01]

Tourists probably wouldn't be able to send an SMS, unless they switched to a local sim card for their mobile. Guessing that probably most wouldn't bother.....

And we shouldn't have to keep sending an SMS every time we go out.

Dee.

[PolemIan]

If the “sources” are correct, which is yet to be proven, this is bonkers and also implies SMS restrictions are here to stay. I genuinely can’t see the point, why does a tourist not have to specify if they are going for shopping, a takeaway, a meal, for exercise...... if the data at that level of granularity is of no value, why is it of value about us when the concern is about bringing in new variants etc etc. In a typical year there are 3 or 4 times as many tourist arrivals as there is static population of the island, what about visitors to private rented accommodation or staying with family or friends.

You either want tourists, or you don’t.

I could go on as there are so many holes in this logic, but I’ll calm down, out the kettle on and go and hope this is fake news or see if there’s news about time travel and we’ve just gone back to 1 April.

[Whitts]

I don’t understand why you still have to send a text message to go out when everywhere is open. I guess it’s just the government controlling us. Or am I missing something here

[Lofos-Jan]

The reality is that the government have to balance the need for continuing restriction on movement to stop the spread of the virus with the need for tourists to kickstart the economy and to get people back to work to support their families. I have absolutely no problem with a 2 tier system but I am beginning to think I am alone.

Jeanne

[WHL]

The reality is that the government have to balance the need for continuing restriction on movement to stop the spread of the virus with the need for tourists to kickstart the economy and to get people back to work to support their families. I have absolutely no problem with a 2 tier system but I am beginning to think I am alone.

Jeanne

You are not alone, I agree with your post 100%.

[galexinda]

Just as with other announcements, the original has been updated - this is the link to Update 3

'Director General of Cyprus Hotel Association (Pasyxe) Philokypros Roussounides clarified later in the day that the form will be given only in cases where tourists are unable to send an SMS, but they too will be subject to the restriction of two outings per day'.

https://cyprus-mail.com/2021/04/06/coro ... send-smss/

[Dominic]

The reality is that the government have to balance the need for continuing restriction on movement to stop the spread of the virus with the need for tourists to kickstart the economy and to get people back to work to support their families. I have absolutely no problem with a 2 tier system but I am beginning to think I am alone.

Jeanne

You are not alone, I agree with your post 100%.

I'm with you too. I can't believe the fuss people make about having to send an SMS. My uncle died from it, and he was an active 79 year old. And yes, it was COVID he died from. He didn't fall down the stairs two weeks after testing positive, and have it attributed to COVID. He died alone in hospital. If sending an SMS whenever you need to go out can help prevent that then I am all for it.

The primary purpose of all this is to ease the strain on the health service. That is all. Only a few days ago there was an alarm about the levels in hospitals.

[galexinda]

I think the emphasis should be more on physical distancing and proper face mask wearing (in selected places) rather than limiting movements as these are things people can adapt to long term rather than keep being told how many times they can leave their abode which changes from month to month. However, as with all legislation, the authorities need to be seen to be upholding the rules.

[Kili01]

Yes, its obvious that the medical services and hospitals need to be protected. But, why were there suddenly so many more cases of covid , particularly in Limassol?
Remember the unofficial Limassol carnival weekend of madness? Why didn't the police in Limassol work proactively to stop the mass gathering of people for partying?
We know that they can, remembering the way they stopped a crowded protest March from happening in Nicosia a week or so earlier. If the police had used water cannon and sprayed a little cs gas around they could havd stopped that mass party which was held.
Instead they only were reported as arresting a few people after the event.
So, since then the number of cases of the virus there have balooned and still are in Limassol and quite recently the virus seems to be very active now in Nicosia too.

If the rise in the number of cases hadn't happened, maybe we would have seen a relaxation of restrictions by now as the Govt had hoped.
Dee

[dimsum]

Well we all knew this was going to happen, one rule for one and one for another. I rang the Annabel hotel and asked the question, Answer was Oh! what to do, tell us the truth, do not lie, we may not like it but at least you have been truthful OR NOT AS THE CASE MAY BE... Now we see many of the vulnerable not wanting to go out. I can foresee a U turn coming shortly and rising numbers also unrest in the camp.