in-cyprus 2 April 2020 - Josephine Koumettou
Another person has died and another 58 people tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday in the Republic of Cyprus, the biggest jump in a single day so far, bringing the total number of deaths to nine and the total number of confirmed cases to 320 (including ten in the British Bases).
Today we learned that yet more medical staff is among the new cases. Meanwhile, the Health ministry said that more coronavirus tests will be carried out in Paphos and Aradippou, both of which have seen a spike in cases.
The Turkish-held north announced another death, a German woman aged 83, and seven new coronavirus cases bringing the total number of deaths there to 2 and positive cases to 77.
The bodies of the two German tourists were flown home last night on a flight from the illegal Tymbou airport. The same flight repatriating 28 German tourists who were in quarantine in the occupied areas.
Meanwhile, the Republic of Cyprus will begin repatriation flights for vulnerable Cypriots stranded abroad next week, while the Transport Ministry extended this morning the ban on passenger flights to Cyprus airports by another 14 days.
As regards financial support measures, the Finance Ministry issued on Thursday answers to Frequently Asked Questions on the nine-month suspension of loan instalments together with a list of contact details for financial institutions.
The two largest banking institutions on the island, Bank of Cyprus and Hellenic Bank said today that until this morning that they received more than 7,000 applications to suspend loans.
Another 153 people were booked for flouting the stay at home decree last night, not long after the chief of police said the force will be unrelenting to those not in compliance.
At the same time, a charity reached out to the government for guidance as asylum seekers are left without healthcare and information on Covid-19.
In other developments:
Cyprus president and Israeli PM discussed ways of dealing with the struggle against the virus.
More than 100,000 SMS requests to 8998 were rejected on the first day of the new lockdown measures, according to government data.
And a Cypriot team has developed a portal that tracks the spread of coronavirus.
