Empty Nicosia Streets as Cyprus Lockdown Intensifies

Nicosia’s streets emptied as the third Cyprus lockdown intensified on April 26th.

People are only allowed one SMS for a daily trip outside their homes and all venues and shops are closed with the exception of those selling essential goods.

The quiet is broken by the whoop-whoop of sirens. Helmeted police on motorcycles patrol Nicosia old city on the look-out for people breaking the lockdown rules.

And there are many, many rules. Some of them are common sense: wear a mask, it reduces your risk of catching COVID by at least 30 percent. Have your work paper or SMS granting the once-daily movement permission, so you don’t get a EUR300 fine. The main rules are:

• 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.
• Schooling in groups is prohibited – e-learning is allowed.

Corona dystopia

The dystopian feeling prevails, we have submitted to the permission culture triggered by COVID-19. Fear rules; fear of touching others, breathing others’ air. We reassure ourselves with platitudes; it will get better, let’s see this lockdown through too. The vaccine will mean immunity, surely it will mean immunity.

After thirteen months of pandemic dystopia, the main feeling is doubt about the future.

Some developments are reassuring. In the UK, the number of new cases dropped dramatically after the effective vaccination program.

Other developments bely any cause for feeling optimistic. COVID-19 is punishing India, where two new variants were found, one of which is spreading in the UK. It’s just a matter of time until the double mutant variant infiltrates Cyprus.

Creative endurance during the Cyprus lockdown

Through all of these ups and downs, I have developed what I call creative endurance. Painting, writing, playing piano, these are life savers channeling my energy - normally used to run Sarah’s Jazz Club - into creative works. Sarah’s Jazz Club has been closed for a year. We were allowed to re-open for a few months and then the second lockdown put an end to a brief time of beautiful live music. We’re still waiting for permission to re-open.

When I’m not creating, I struggle with the state’s digital systems. Many of the systems went online overnight. That’s an improvement but the decades of ignoring the digital world is now a cost to pay when we do not have the resources to pay it.

Last week, I attempted to make an appointment for a vaccine - the doctor didn’t answer when I called for the code the vaccine portal requests to link to my medical records. If a digital system doesn’t work smoothly, I get discouraged and give up. Maybe if I write about it, someone in the healthcare system will realise that digital codes are supposed to work digitally. In other words, automate it somehow, please. The doctor’s office can send an automated message with the code to the system when pinged to do so.

It’s a good thing that our personal doctors can now give the vaccines, this should relieve the pressure on the health system’s digital portals.

COVID cases surpass 60,000

Yesterday, the health ministry reported 773 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 62,349. Around 16,000 of the cases are active, which is a worrying phenomenon because the recovery rate in Cyprus is well below the international average.

As we begin the Orthodox Easter Holy Week, a miracle is needed more than ever.