in-cyprus 24 March 2020 - Bouli Hadjioannou
President Nicos Anastasiades issued a terse warning on Tuesday evening, not long after a near lockdown he had announced last night came into force as part of efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus.
In a message on Twitter, the president there appears to be an attempt to misinterpret the explanations given this afternoon by the Interior Minister and the deputy minister for innovation about the new measures.
He therefore wanted to make clear that any abuse or disobedience would lead to a complete ban on movement without exceptions.
Under the decrees, members of the public must seek permission to leave their house either by sending an SMS or signing a document.
There are eight categories that qualify, but ministers have stressed that going out is the exception and should not be abused.
Those still going to work need a document signed by their employer.
But according to philenews, the special call centre was flooded by text messages within seconds of the lockdown coming into force at 6 pm, overburdening the system and leading to delays. Officials said everyone would receive a reply and that work was underway to improve the system.
A total of 124 people have tested positive for Covid-19 according to the latest figures of the Health Ministry. Three people have died, two of them today.
In another message the president wrote, “Today we lost another two of our fellow human beings as a result of the pandemic. We must all understand that if we do not have full compliance with the measures, the consequences for all will be assymetric. To win this war, stay home, in your shelters,” he wrote.
