Cyprus Lockdown Measures Announced

The new Cyprus lockdown measures are as follows:

• Curfew from 9pm to 5am as of 5am on April 26th.
• New lockdown until 12am on May 9th.
• No public events allowed either indoors or outdoors.
• No home gatherings except for Orthodox Easter Sunday.
• Only 10 people can gather on Easter Sunday - from maximum two family households.
• Only one trip outside the home per person per day.
• Permission for the daily trip is via sms to 8998.
• Companies must limit the employees at the office - minimum three persons and maximum 25 persons.
• Employees present at the office must have a weekly rapid test to attend work.

The new measures had been expected after another 927 new COVID cases were confirmed on April 22, according to information from the health ministry.

The number of COVID deaths now stands at 296 people after the virus took a 68-year-old man. The patient was in Limassol General Hospital and had been vaccinated with the first dose against COVID-19, said the health ministry.

In addition to the above measures, all hospitality venues, theatres, gyms and shops must close for the short period between April 26 and May 9.

The short lockdown aims to relieve the pressure on the public health system.

We cannot ignore the pleas from the front-line healthcare workers.

Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou

COVID vaccines from your doctor

The vaccination program will accelerate further after personal doctors were authorized to give the shots. Up to now, the vaccines were only available by appointment at government centres. The decentralization means a much quicker distribution into society.

Given that there are 16,310 active COVID-19 cases as of today, the vaccine is society’s best defense against the virus. The source of information about the active cases is the epidemic scientific team.

Mindset changes

Since the pandemic began, we’ve reported the grim statistics to keep our readers updated and alert to the health threat.

While recognising these statistics are disturbing, we must be factual about the situation. At the same time, it’s important to maintain a calm perspective and manage the risks we face each day.

It’s equally vital to find creative ways to continue our day-to-day lives with as positive a mindset as we can muster.

Human rights like freedom of expression and the right to gather peacefully in protest are valuable as ever. Instead of actual gatherings, virtual gatherings, online petitions and written protests can be used - they mean the same thing - free speech.

Frustration and COVID fatigue are understandable and there are ways to handle these strong emotions. What works for me is to channel them into creative pursuits like writing, painting or playing music. These help you express yourself in a constructive way, you may even end up with a piece of work like a song or a book.

Talk to your friends and family about your difficulties or any distress. Meditation also helps to calm the mind.

Finally, see the big picture where possible - the vaccinations have worked to reduce the number of COVID cases in the UK. There are positive results and steps forward amid the setbacks.