Filenews 14 July 2021 Michalis Hatzivasilis
The world of catering and recreation is boiling because of the burden of controlling SafePass by themselves instead of by state institutions, with today's Cabinet meeting being crucial to how they react.
The owners of premises are literally with one foot on the streets and if no changes are made by the government, then from Friday the mobilizations will begin per province. As announced yesterday at a press conference of the Cyprus Association of Leisure Centre Owners (PASIKA) the measures will be extended to airports with road closures, while suggestions are also made for the employment of unemployed people to check for SafePass.
Information from the "F" indicates that The Minister of Health Michalis Hatzipantellas will raise the matter today before the Council of Ministers, but no changes or decisions are expected such as to change the data, since it is considered that this makes more complete control of the regulars of a premises, instead of with the random checks of the Police. However, it is not out of the question that the Minister of Health will again see the representatives of PASIKA for clarification.
Yesterday, the C.G. of the Association Fanos Leventis stated that "for us our role in this provision of the decree cannot be anyone other than supportive", adding that the Police or other authorised officials of the state must enter our premises with discretion and courtesy and carry out random checks. According to him, "in an effort not to spoil the image of the Police has transferred this burden to us resulting in us living the frictions in the past few days with our friends who have been visiting our sites for years," he added. At the same time, he said that if the state insists on this provision "then we may be subsidised proportionately by some staff to employ it and it is solely the responsibility of that staff, adding that this would also serve the Ministry of Labour as "a very significant number of unemployed people would automatically be employed.
Mr Leventis said PASIKA would wait for the next Cabinet meeting to change the provision of the decree in such a way, as he said, that it would fully entertain our concerns and certainly not in the way that some organisations recommended to the Health Minister." He also rejected the suggestion that businessmen should not be denounced if a group of clients enter a leisure centre and refuse to present the necessary documents and do not want to leave the site, they can sit at a table, not serve them, and proceed to a complaint to the Police. "We will all be caught in the dole and come to our premises to have fun," he said, adding that "these are not serious things to be declared serious organisations."
Pasika's C.G. also said that employees of the centres are now persistently refusing to take on this role because they are also burdened with criminal responsibility in a possible violation of the decree and wondered "who will pay the financial penalties to a potential liability solely to the employee we have appointed to carry out the audit", in addition to the criminal liability that may exist.
Mr Leventis also said that most of the population has a document required by SafePass and there is a small gap, in relation to small age groups that the state needs to work out how they will be controlled." He did not let go of the procedures and procedures observed at airports, complaining in essence that "we are once again paying primarily for the devastating mistakes made again in the checks on entry into the country with omissions and incorrect policy implemented and we now have the introduction into our country of mutated forms of the virus", he added. "We find it inconceivable for the second time to allow a country that can easily control anyone who enters to have reached a point where we are a global phenomenon with such high cases," he observed.
He also referred to a list of 30 Cyprus premises drawn up by the Ministry of Health which gives them responsibility for the spread of the virus. Pasika's C.G. said that of the 3,500 recreational centres in Cyprus, most of them apply what is provided for and at the same time are "punished through the provision of the decree which calls on entrepreneurs to play the role of police officer attributable to the Police or other competent authorised bodies that can carry out these checks".
Suspension of centres
Referring to measures to be taken by the owners of leisure centres, Mr Leventis said that a very significant number of leisure centres - in addition to the form of protest they want to give - are de facto obliged to suspend their operations and send their staff to the unemployed for as long as the ordinance or this provision lasts due to the fact that their turnover has been reduced by 60% and they are forced to operate at 50% capacity.
Another measure, according to PASIKA's G.G., is that entrepreneurs by province have announced dynamic mobilizations, starting Friday, in an effort to require the state to listen to their justified concerns that are being documented. These mobilizations will be continuous.
Also announced by newly created facebook pages by restaurateurs who accept unvaccinated or without SafePass. A protest event outside the Presidential is planned next Sunday.
40 patients are being treated at the Reference Hospital
Instructions were given to open a further 12 beds for Covid-19
Forty patients with coronavirus are hospitalized at the Reference Hospital 26 years the youngest and 86 the oldest. Today (yesterday) instructions were given to open a further 12 beds for the Covid-19. The Scientific Director of Larnaca - Famagusta Hospitals Amalia Hatzigiannis told THE CYPE that it is good to make the most of the privilege of vaccination so that we can get out of this impasse as quickly as possible.
Ms. Hatzigiannis said that 40 patients with coronavirus are currently being treated at Famagusta General Hospital, which serves as a Reference Hospital.
Thirty-four patients are hospitalized in the COVID ward while six patients are hospitalized in the Increased Care Unit.
The average age of patients with coronavirus is 56 years. The youngest patient is 26 years old and the oldest is 86 years old.
During this period due to increased positivity in the community and increased cases of increased mobility and admissions to hospitals and the Reference Hospital there have been many admissions in recent times.
Every day there are imports and exports of patients and today (yesterday) Mrs Hatzigiannis said she was instructed to open a further 12 beds for Covid-19.
About 110 people are staying at the EDEN RESORTS Rehabilitation Centre in Tersefanou, said the Scientific Director of Larnaca Famagusta Hospitals.
Ms. Amalia Hatzigiannis also sent a message especially to the new generation called for faithfully respecting the protective measures that are the use of the protective mask, the antiseptic and to keep the distances. She said it was good to make the most of the privilege of vaccination so that we could get out of this impasse as quickly as possible, she said.
