Day: March 15, 2022

Despite losing ground in the Russian and Ukrainian markets due to the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios was optimistic on Tuesday that this year’s tourist arrivals could catch up with 2021, due to the promotion of other markets, which may fill part of the gap from the second largest tourist market of Cyprus.

“Our product is more durable, the perception of what Cyprus is has begun to differentiate, we bring tourism with a higher income level. We will do everything in our power to make things as good as possible under the circumstances,” said Perdios, speaking online to the parliamentary Trade Committee, which examined the consequences of the Ukrainian crisis in the tourism industry.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Ministry of Finance has revised an initial 2022 inflation estimate of 1.5% to 4% due to the rise in petrol prices in the midst of the crisis in Ukraine.

The new projection was announced during a parliamentary committee on trade which discussed the matter of the continuous rise in prices and inflation, on Tuesday.

Addressing MPs, Economic Director at the Ministry of Finance Lucy Herodotou Mouskou said that this increase will cost public coffers €25 million because of the cost of living adjustment (COLA) and added that the rise in prices is creating problems with the implementation of the government`s development programme.

She noted that revised projections about 2022 inflation are now 4% rather than 1.5% and said that any additional burden will cause further difficulty in the implementation of the government`s development programme.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus on Tuesday recorded two deaths and 3,294 new COVID-19 cases, while the positivity rate is at 3.57%.

According to the Health Ministry, the deaths concern two men, aged 92 and 78. The 92-year-old man died on Sunday. The number of deaths from COVID-19 so far are 904.

There are 108 patients with COVID-19 in hospital, including 17 who are in serious condition, of whom six are intubated and 11 are being treated in high-dependency units. In total 59.26% of patients being treated for COVID in hospital are not vaccinated.

On Tuesday 92,295 tests were carried out – 3,699 PCR and 88,596 rapid tests – and 3,294 new cases were detected with a positivity rate of 3.57%. So far, 360,078 cases have been recorded in total in the Republic of Cyprus.

The new cases concern 132 people found positive during contact tracing (59 from PCR and 73 f

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Ways for further cooperation between Cyprus` Parliament and the Foreign Ministry, including the promotion of parliamentary diplomacy, were discussed on Tuesday between the House President Annita Demetriou and the Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides.

According to a statement by the Parliament, during a courtesy meeting of the House President with the Foreign Minister, issues of common interest were discussed in the context of the declared will of the two sides for a more coordinated cooperation between them and further coordination and support of the Parliament in the field of parliamentary diplomacy.

Kasoulides stated that he was ready to contribute to establishing a closer cooperation between Parliament and his Ministry for the purpose of horizontal promotion of diplomacy at all levels, as well as supporting Parliament in the exercise of the empowered role

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The reports shows that enforcement of rules on drink-driving and mobile phone use at the wheel decreases in majority of European countries and that significant weaknesses in the enforcement of road safety rules are holding back progress on reducing road deaths in Europe.

The report examines the state of enforcement of speed limits and seatbelt wearing as well as rules on drink-driving and use of mobile devices at the wheel between 2010 and 2019 across Europe.

Ellen Townsend, ETSC’s policy director, noted that thousands of lives could be saved in the EU every year if drivers stuck to existing rules on drink-driving, speeding, seatbelt wearing and mobile phone use, adding that good enforcement is absolutely critical to this.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

A two-day seminar was launched on Tuesday aimed at raising awareness and training police officers on indentifying, investigating and dealing with antisemitic behaviours.

The seminar, titled “Antisemitism and Counteraction” takes place at the Police Headquarters in Nicosia and it is a cooperation between the Cyprus Police and the Embassy of Israel in Cyprus.

During the seminar, in which dozens of police officers participate, a series of lectures are taking place by Israeli academics on the historical roots of anti-Semitism in Europe and its manifestations in modern society, as well as on the internet, both in Europe and in the United States.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Police booked 8 individuals and 1 shop owner within the last 24 hours, until Tuesday morning on March 15, after 1.622 checks for violations of measures against the spread of covid-19.

A Police spokesperson told CNA that 407 checks were carried out in Nicosia, where 1 café owner was fined. In Limassol, 5 individuals were booked, after 128 checks. In Larnaca, 311 checks were carried out, but no violations were recorded. In Paphos, 109 checks were carried out and 1 individual was booked. In Ammochostos, 2 individuals were booked after 373 checks. No violations were recorded in Morfou area, where 121 checks were carried out.

The Traffic Department carried out 131 checks and the Port and Marine Police carried out another 42, without any violations recorded.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Chair of the House Committee of Foreign and European Affairs Harris Georgiades is in Washington for contacts in the framework of the parliamentary cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the US known as 3+1 cooperation and of the 3rd meeting of South Europe and Eastern Mediterranean.

An announcement by the parliament says that Georgiades was the keynote speaker during an official dinner along with Senator Bob Menendez.

In his speech the Cyprus parliamentarian said that the 3+1 cooperation is now more important due to the developments following Russia`s invasion in Ukraine which he described as a conflict between democracy and authoritarianism.

Source: Cyprus News Agency