Day: March 6, 2022

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Police report 19 persons and 6 shop owners over violations of Covid-19 protective measures

Cyprus Police fined 19 individuals and 6 shop owners for violating protective measures aiming to contain the spread of COVID-19.

A police spokesperson told CNA that in the last 24 hours ending on 06:00 local time, the Force carried out a total of 2,236 checks throughout the government-controlled areas.

In Nicosia, the Police carried out 540 checks reporting 12 persons and 3 shop owners, in Limassol 207 checks were carried out, reporting 1 individual and 1 shop owner, in Larnaca 1 individual and 1 shop owner were fined following 428 checks, in Pafos 1 person and 1 shop owner were reported after 107 checks, in Famagusta 5 persons were reported following 500 checks.

Furthermore, no fines were issued following checks in Morphou and checks carried out by the Traffic Department.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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Environment Minister praises UNEP’s contribution to sustainable development at UN Environment Assembly

?he Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Costas Kadis expressed the appreciation of the government of Cyprus to the United Nations Environment Assembly for its contribution to the promotion of sustainable development worldwide at the Special Session of the Assembly held on 3-4 March in Nairobi.

According to an announcement by the Ministry, the Session was organised by the Government of Kenya to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and during the session the achievements of the Programme`s 50-year-long operation and its vision for the future were reviewed, with interventions by Heads of State and government representatives.

Kadispraised the work in promotion of sustainable development at the global level and stressed the important role the organisation in developing global initiatives and mobilising resources to design, develop and implement effective and innovative solutions that address the triple global crisis (climate change, loss of biodiversity, pollution).

The Political Declaration in support of the efforts of the Programme to address the world`s major environmental challenges was unanimously adopted at the end of the Special Session, with Heads of State and government representatives declaring their commitment to strengthening the Programme and recognising the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a basic human right.

The preceding United Nations Environment Assembly adopted 14 resolutions on strengthening actions to conserve nature and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, while the Assembly resulted in the unanimous adoption of the Ministerial Declaration to initiate processes to conclude the first international legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution, which UNEP`s Executive Director described as “the most important multilateral agreement on the environment after the Paris agreement on climate change”.

On the sidelines of the Assembly Kadis held meetings with the Honorary Consul of Cyprus in Kenya and former Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the country Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka and Archbishop Makarios of Nairobi, with the Minister praising the humanitarian and educational work carried out by the Diocese of Kenya and assuring Archbishop Makarios that the Government of Cyprus will continue to support its work.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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S&Ps rating shows confidence that Cypriot economy will tackle geopolitical tensions, FinMin says

Standard and Poor’s rating action shows confidence that the Cypriot economy will tackle the consequences of the geopolitical tensions arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Finance Ministry said.

Late on Friday S&Ps affirmed Cyprus’ long-term rating to BBB- and maintained the economic outlook to positive, “despite the consequences of geopolitical developments from the crisis in Ukraine and the continued impact due to the Covid pandemic,” the Finance Ministry said in a press release issued Saturday.

“Despite acknowledging the sizeable link of the Cypriot economy with the Russian economy and the possible impact from the Russo-Ukrainian crisis and the associated EU sanctions, the agency endorses the view that the consequences will be limited to 2022 and the economy will return to growth rates in 2023 – 2025,” the Finance Ministry said, adding that in general, S&Ps “positively values the government’s policies that led to the improvement of the fiscal indices in 2021 and the broader course of the economy and that the reduction of the non-performing loans continued during the pandemic.”

Furthermore, the Ministry added that the agency pointed out the positive outlook reflects the possibility for an upgrade in the next 24 months under certain conditions, such as fiscal discipline and the associated decline of the public debt, maintaining health growth rate in the medium term and the further reduction of non-performing loans in the domestic banking system.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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Education Minister sees prospects for a European Teacher profile, signs MoC with Hellenic Foundation in Paris

The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Prodromos Prodromou said that the conditions for the development of a “European Teacher” profile are ripe.

Addressing a Ministerial Conference on “Embedding European Perspectives in Teacher Development”, held in Poitiers, France, last Thursday, the Minister said that the aim was to highlight the important role of teachers in shaping the European Area of Education and in particular to seek and identify professional standards and pedagogical practices leading to a “European teacher profile”.

The conference, an announcement said, was preceded by a joint statement condemning the invasion and war in Ukraine and expressing solidarity with teachers, children and the people of Ukraine.

In his intervention, Prodromou noted that despite difficulties in view of a unified planning in the education policy of the EU Member States, the conditions are ripe to further intensify mobility and exchanges between teachers and to move towards the development of a “European Teacher” profile and identity.

Prodromou also underlined the positive aspects of participation in the Erasmus+ programme, including the improvement of national policies in the fields of education and training, the exchange of good practices between countries and the improvement of school education in general.

In addition, the Minister underlined the importance of the Erasmus+ Teachers Academies for the shaping of the European Education Area and the enhancement of quality, inclusion and the digital and green transition of the education systems of the European Union Member States.

Asked about the Cyprus being among the first countries in terms of European mobility, the Minister noted that Cyprus` island character and its position at the south-eastern edge of Europe favours extroversion, while the social environment that recognises and prioritises investment in knowledge, skills and studies also plays an important role as well.

On the sidelines of the conference, Prodromou met with the Rector of the Academy of Poitiers Bénédicte Robert, with whom he discussed the possibility of cooperation between schools under its jurisdiction and schools in Cyprus.

The Minister signed together with the Ambassador of Greece a Memorandum of Cooperation for the Hellenic Foundation in Paris, which opens up prospects both for Cypriot students and broader cooperation in the cultural sector with the Hellenic Foundation (Fondation Héllenique) of the University of Paris campus (Cité Universitaire).

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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Cypriot athlete secures gold in Balkan Indoor Athletics Championships, second qualifies for World Indoor Championships

Two Cypriot athletes participated in the 27th Balkan Indoor Athletics Championships held on Saturday in Istanbul and one secured a gold medal while the second qualified for the World Indoor Championships.

In the women`s events, Olivia Fotopoulou won gold in the 60m race with 7.35, thus matching her best individual performance. Natalia Christofi came second in 60m hurdles with 8.10, achieving a new national record and securing her qualification to the World Indoor Championships, which will be held from 18 to 20 March in Belgrade, Serbia.

In a statement, the Cyprus Sports Organisation congratulated the two Cypriot champions, who are part of the Organisation`s High Performance Programme, as well as their federation KOEAS.

Cyprus` representative in the men`s events, Christos Demetriou finished 4th in the 800m with 1:51.93.

Cyprus increased the number of Balkan Indoor Championships medals to 22, winning at least one in all nine events it has taken part in since 2014 when it became a member of the Balkan Federation (eight gold, nine silver and five bronze medals).

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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Cyprus records two deaths due to Covid-19 and 1,730 new cases on Sunday, hospitalizations at 129

Cypriot health authorities announced on Sunday two new deaths due to COVID-19 and 1,730 new cases, bringing the total tally of deaths and infections since the outbreak of the pandemic to 877 and 333,238 respectively.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Health, hospitalizations amounted to 129, of which patients treated in serious condition in Intensive Treatment Units and Increased Care Units amounted to 30.

A total of 77,336 tests were carried out today, with the overall daily positivity rate amounting to 2,24%.

According to the Ministry, the new fatalities concern two male aged 81 and 94 years-old who died today, March 6.

Furthermore, patients receiving treatment in public hospitals amounted 129, of whom 30 are being treated in serious condition. Of the patients in serious condition, 14 are intubated, and 16 patients are in Advanced Care Units, the Ministry added.

Data show that 55,04% of the patients treated in public hospitals have no vaccination history, while 18 post-COVID patients who are no longer infectious are intubated in serious condition in Intensive Treatment Units.

According to the Ministry, PCR tests amounted to 2,688 detecting 92 positive cases with a positivity rate of 3,42%, while rapid antigen tests amounted to 74,648 after which 1,638 new infections were diagnosed resulting to a positivity rate of 2,19%.

In the context of contact tracing, 951 rapid tests were carried out, detecting 77 new infections with a positivity rate of 8.1%.

As part of private initiative, 870 PCR tests were carried detecting 66 new cases (7.59), whereas 33,233 rapid antigen tests were carried after which 783 new cases were diagnosed (2.36%).

In the context of the Ministry of Health’s testing programmes using rapid antigen tests, a total of 41,415 samples were taken detecting 885 new infections, the Ministry added.

Following 38,526 tests done in the various testing sites, 777 new cases were diagnosed with a 2.02% positivity rate.

As part of testing in elderly homes, no cases were diagnosed following 79 rapid tests, while 1 new cases was detected after 1,859 carried out in closed structures (0.05%).

Source: Cyprus News Agency