Updates from Cyprus
New measures which were announced by the Minister of Health Michalis Hadjipantelas last Thursday to curb the spread of COVID-19, including compulsory PCR tests by all travellers upon their arrival in Cyprus are in effect as of Monday.
Hadjipantelas announced the new measures following a Cabinet meeting last Thursday.
In particular, from Monday 6 December to 10 January, all passengers arriving in Cyprus will undergo a compulsory PCR test with a 15-euro charge.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
A suspect for the murder of two women, appears before Limassol District Court on Monday facing the charge of premeditated murder.
The bodies of the two women, believed to be Mariia Gazibagandova, 33 from Dagestan and Khaiat Alraeesi 43, from Syria, had been missing in Cyprus since November 17 and were found buried in the yard of a holiday home in Kato Amiantos in the Limassol district after Police said the man held in custody in connection with the case confessed to killing them.
The suspect, a Syrian national, aged 32, is said to have confessed to shooting the two women, Police Chief Stelios Papatheodorou told the press on Sunday at the crime scene after the two bodies were unearthed amid torrential rain.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
Passenger arrivals in Cyprus increased by 100.6% in the first ten months of 2021 on an annual basis, data released by the Cyprus Statistical Service show.
According the data, arrivals of travelers in October 2021 reached 474,140 compared to 123,023 in October 2020, recording an increase of 285.4%.
This increase, the Statistical Service notes, is mainly due to an increase in tourist arrivals by 288.6% but also to the increase in returns from Cypriot residents by 273.2%. In relation to departures an increase of 281.2% is also recorded in October 2021 compared to the previous year.
During the period January – October 2021, the arrivals of travelers reached 2,216,364 compared to 1,104,872 during the same period in 2020 recording an increase of 100.6%. Departures in the same period record an increase of 98.5%.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
The new Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), Colin Stewart said that he looks forward to continuing the work of the United Nations in Cyprus and hopes to forge strong working relationships with all stakeholders.
According to a press release on the arrival of the new UN Special Representative in Cyprus, an announcement by UNFICYP notes that Stewart formally assumes his duties also as the Deputy Special Adviser to the Secretary-General (DSASG) on Cyprus.
Stewart succeeds Elizabeth Spehar, who completed her assignment on 30 November 2021.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
The 8th trilateral summit between Cyprus, Greece and Israel set to take place on Tuesday, in Jerusalem, is expected to focus, among other issues, on the Cyprus problem, developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, cooperation on environmental protection and renewables, joint actions in emergencies and cooperation in the field of energy.
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades travels to Israel on Monday evening to take part in the summit, a presidency press release says.
On Tuesday morning before the summit, President Anastasiades will meet with Israel`s President Isaac Herzog at the Presidential Palace, followed by expanded talks between the delegations of the two countries, chaired by the two Presidents.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
Cyprus authorities announced Monday a new categorization of countries based on their epidemiological data. Malta is moved to red category from orange, in effect December 9th.
A press release issued by the Health Ministry recalls that following a decision of the Council of Ministers, on 18 February 2021, regarding the Action Plan for the gradual resumption of flights and the re-opening of airports, the Epidemiological Monitoring Unit of the Ministry of Health has made a re-evaluation of the epidemiological situation in various countries as regards COVID-19.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
Cyprus Defence Minister, Charalambos Petrides, said on Monday that the Turkish intransigence in combination with Turkey`s increasing offensive stance make it necessary to continuously upgrade the National Guard`s capabilities.
Speaking during a ceremony on the occassion of Saint Nichola`s Day – patron saint of the Navy – Petrides said that Cyprus proceeds with the implementation of its armement programme.
He praised the members of the Navy for their professionalism and referred to the cooperation and co-training with the armed forces of other countires and the participation in multi-national cross-sectoral military exercises.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
Cyprus focuses on structural reforms through the Resilience and Recovery Mechanism in order to increase the country’s potential economic performance, Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said during Monday’s Eurogroup meeting in Brussels, according to a press release.
Petrides was speaking during the discussion following a presentation by the European Commission and the European Central Bank (ECB) on the main findings of the post-programme surveillance reports on Cyprus, Portugal, Ireland and Spain.
Referring in particular to the findings of the 11th Post-Programme Surveillance Report for Cyprus, Petrides said that the reflect the progress that has been achieved as well as prospects and challenges for the Cypriot economy.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
Cyprus Government aspires to give its citizens the potential to have online access to public digital services and government services as of 2022 through a Portal (gov.cy) the construction of which is now being promoted by the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy.
Speaking on Monday at a press conference on the work of the Deputy Ministry during 2020-21, and for the presentation of the planned main policies and actions, Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Kyriakos Kokkinos, said that “our aim is to have in 2022 the public sector on one screen and to offer an easy and quick search and navigation system.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
The United Nations intend to host a reception at Ledra Palace, with the participation of Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, and Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, on the occasion of the new UNSG’s Special Representative, Colin Stewart`s arrival in Cyprus.
The Cyprus News Agency (CNA) has learned that it has not yet been finalized whether the reception will take place, and this will depend on whether the two leaders are willing to attend it as well as on the COVID-19 epidemiological situation.
If it takes place, this will happen on December 14 at 1900, and a total of 30-40 persons will be invited – apart from the leaders, the members of their negotiating teams and the Ambassadors of the UN Security Council five permanent member states.
Source: Cyprus News Agency