Day: September 27, 2022

Vaccination against the seasonal flu by GPs is expected to begin within the first ten days of October and Cyprus will receive 170,000 vaccines which are set to arrive Wednesday.

 

A press release by Health Ministry says that through the pharmacovigilance systems that operate internationally, no serious systemic side effects of the influenza vaccine have been recorded and the vaccine is considered safe and effective.

 

The Ministry points out that particular importance should be given to the coverage of the population with the flu vaccine, given the fact that its symptoms coincide with those of COVID-19.

 

Everyone who belongs to high-risk groups is invited to get the shot.

 

Vulnerable and high-risk groups include citizens aged 65 years and over, children over 6 months and up to 15 years old, people over 15 years old who have asthma or other chronic lung diseases, heart disease with severe hemodynamic disorders, immunosuppression (hereditary or acquired due to disease or immunosuppressive/immunomodulating therapy), organ transplantation, sickle cell disease (and other severe hemoglobinopathies), diabetes mellitus or other chronic metabolic disease, morbid Obesity (metabolic syndrome) with a Body Mass Index (BMI)>40 kg/m2, chronic kidney disease and liver disease and neuromuscular or Neurological diseases.

 

It is also recommended for pregnant women regardless of age, lactating women, children and adults who take long-term aspirin (eg, Kawasaki disease, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.), for the possible risk of developing Reye’s syndrome after influenza.

 

For preventive reasons people who are in close contact with children under 6 months of age or care for people belonging to high-risk groups, workers in healthcare facilities (medical and other staff) and refugee/migrant accommodation centers, people in closed units (staff and internal students of schools, military and police academies, inmates and staff of institutions, recruits in the armed forces, conscripts in the classification centers) are also advised to get the vaccine.

 

Health Ministry also asks veterinarians as well as professionals in the field of animal production and especially poultry farmers, pig farmers, breeders, slaughterers and in general, people who come into systematic contact with poultry to vaccinate.

 

The seasonal flu is an acute viral respiratory infection caused by the Influenza virus. The virus is usually found in particles secreted from the respiratory tract of infected individuals and is mainly transmitted airborne through coughing and sneezing from person to person and/or by contaminated hands and surfaces.

 

The Ministry points out that influenza occurs every year in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres during the winter months, and its incidence is about 10% in adults and 30-40% in children.

 

Due to its rapid transmission, influenza spreads in the form of a wave in the population and its duration varies between 6-8 weeks. In Cyprus, based on disease monitoring data, seasonal flu activity usually begins in January, peaks in February and subsides at the end of March.

 

The Ministry also recalls the symptoms that begin with a headache and a feeling of exhaustion and are followed by a high fever, chills, cough and symptoms from the upper respiratory system, which can last up to ten days.

 

Influenza can cause mild to very severe illness. Most healthy people get over the flu without complications, but some, such as people in high-risk groups (chronic heart, respiratory problems, immunosuppression), are at greater risk for serious complications, which can occur even in a small percentage of healthy individuals.

 

It is emphasized that the most effective way of prevention is vaccination with the influenza vaccine, which, when administered correctly and on time, protects against the transmission of the influenza virus, helping to protect against the serious complications of influenza.

 

The Ministry of Health asks citizens to avoid close contact with people who show symptoms, to sanitize hands and surfaces, to air closed spaces frequently, to avoid crowded places and in case they get sick to isolate at home for up to 24 hours after the fever is gone.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

In August, total deposits recorded a net increase of €173.7 million, while loans recorded a net decrease of €100 million, according to the Monetary Financial Institutions (MFIs) deposits and loans statistics published by the Cyprus Central Bank on Tuesday, which are included in the September 2022 edition of Monetary and Financial Statistics.

 

According to CBC, total deposits in August recorded a net increase of €173.7 million, compared with a net decrease of €183.9 million in July. The annual growth rate stood at 0.6%, compared with 1.3% in July. The outstanding amount of deposits reached €51.5 billion in August.

 

On the contrary, total loans in August recorded a net decrease of €100 million, compared with a net decrease of €162.7 million in July. The annual growth rate stood at 2%, compared with 1.9% in July 2022 and the outstanding amount of total loans reached €28.5 billion in August 2022.

 

CBC clarifies that the term “net decrease/increase” represents the term “transactions”, meaning it does not include the changes resulting from reclassifications, exchange rate and other adjustments.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Humanity’s ability for planetary defence against an asteroid impact is extremely necessary, George Danos, President of the Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation (CSEO), told CNA.

 

In the morning hours of Tuesday, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) – the world’s first planetary defence technology demonstration – successfully impacted its asteroid target Dimorphos, 11 million kilometers away from Earth.

 

“It’s an extremely important mission, for the first time humanity has a planetary defense so we don’t have the same fate as the dinosaurs who became extinct 65 million years ago after an asteroid impact. Today, for the first time, humanity has a new ‘weapon’ should any asteroid ever threaten our planet,” he stressed.

 

The mission, Danos said, was crowned with success, but whether the shift of its orbit is satisfactory, will be known in the coming months since a number of measurements from ground-based telescopes is necessary.

 

He noted that our planet was threatened many times in the past, not only during the dinosaur time but also more recently and gave the examples of Siberia in 1908 when an asteroid destroyed 1000 sq km of forest, the asteroid explosion over the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 which caused injuries and damage but also the theory that the biblical city of Jericho was destroyed by an asteroid.

 

“So, we have recorded historical events and we must now have the ability to prevent destruction if necessary because I am sure that in the medium term this ability will be extremely important,” he told CNA.

 

He said that although CSEO announced a few years ago that it would take part in this mission, this was not possible due to the funding that was needed. Back then, he said, the CSEO was in its early stages and didn’t have the potential it has today.

 

Danos noted that CSEO has joined other programmes and missions like the one concerning the measurement of the age of the rocks on Mars.

 

“The future is bright for Cyprus and our organisation, which participates in many missions that we will announce at a later stage”, he concluded.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Minister of the Interior Nikos Nouris departs for New York where he will attend celebrations for the anniversary of October 1st, hold contacts with the Diaspora and brief UN officials on the migration problem in Cyprus.

 

A press release by the Ministry says that Nouris will have separate meetings with Director of the Office of the UNSG, Courtenay Rattray, and United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix focusing on the management of the migration flows and the problems in the Green Line. After Friday’s meeting, Nouris and Lacroix will make statements to the press.

 

The Minister, who will be accompanied by Deputy Government Spokesperson Niovi Parisinou, will attend a working dinner hosted by overseas organisations, which will be followed by a discussion on the problems faced by the Diaspora.

 

On Sunday, the Minister of the Interior will deliver a speech in the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in New York on the occasion of the October 1st celebrations.

 

On Monday, October 3rd, the Minister will participate in a conference in New Jersey, which is organised in the framework of the cooperation between Greece-Cyprus-Israel and the participation of the United States. Nouris will speak on the security in the Eastern Mediterranean and hybrid threats, while Parisinou will present Cyprus’ positions in a parallel session on energy and renewable energy sources.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides wrapped up contacts and meetings in New York on Monday. He was in NYC for the 77th UN General Assembly and had a series of meeting with counterparts and other high officials from the US State Department and the diaspora.

 

A press release from the MFA says that his week in NYC was a significant one, full of contacts and meetings that yielded results.

 

Kasoulides held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Armenia, Ukraine, Andorra, Egypt, Greece, Iceland, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, India, Algeria and Morocco.

 

In bilateral meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Guyana and San Marino, Cyprus FM signed Memorandums of Cooperation to deepen the political dialogue and political consultations between the two parties. During the UNGA Cyprus attached great importance to holding meetings and strengthening relations with small states from various regions.

 

Kasoulides also met with the US Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland, in the presence of the Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources of the US Department of State, Geoffrey Pyatt. The agenda included the upgraded strategic relationship between Cyprus and the US following the lifting of the arms embargo as well as energy issues.

 

Cyprus MFA also met with the head of the American Jewish Committee, David Harris, with the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council and with the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, Miguel Angel Moratinos.

 

Bilateral relations and ways to further deepen them, current developments in the region, the EU and internationally, Cyprus reunification process and issues of common interest were discussed.

 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs participated in the meeting Cyprus President had with UN Secretary General and attended the working lunch hosted by Cyprus, in the presence of the Permanent Representatives of the P5 of the UN Security Council.

 

Kasoulides also participated in three separate tripartite meetings of the Foreign Ministers of Cyprus – Greece – Armenia, Cyprus – Greece – Egypt and Cyprus – Greece – Serbia. The Ministers exchanged views on the next steps and ways to maintain the political momentum in tripartite cooperation. In the tripartite meeting with Armenia, he expressed Cyprus’ support and solidarity with the Armenian people following the attacks by Azerbaijan.

 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs also participated with thematic interventions in meetings held as part of the high-level week of the UN General Assembly such as UN Peace Operations, the fight against online sexual violence and child exploitation, as well as in a special meeting organized by Minister of Foreign Affairs of India on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence and its long-standing contribution to the UN.

 

Kasoulides also gave an interview to the Bloomberg television network and participated in events organized by Greek and Cypriot expatriate organizations.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The High Commissioner of the Republic Cyprus to Canada Giorgos Ioannides, presented on 22 September, during a special ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, the official residence of the Governor General of Canada, his credentials to the Governor General, Mary J. May Simon.

 

A press release by the MFA, issued Tuesday says that during a meeting with the Governor General, the High Commissioner conveyed President Nicos Anastasiades’ greetings and wishes for progress and well-being to H.E., the Government and the people of Canada.

 

High Commissioner Ioannides assured the Governor General that the Government of the Republic of Cyprus and he personally will continue to work to further enhance and strengthen bilateral cooperation, on issues, inter alia, relating to the promotion of human rights, combating climate crisis, further developing EU-Canada relations, as well as cooperating in multilateral Organizations, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the Francophonie.

 

He, further, informed of the Government’s decision to increase and upgrade the diplomatic presence of the Republic of Cyprus in Canada and encouraged Canada to re-establish a High Commission of Canada in Nicosia, which will undoubtedly further deepen and widen the relations between the two countries.

 

During the meeting, the latest international developments were also discussed, including transatlantic relations and the situation in the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean.

 

The Governor General conveyed her warmest regards to the President and the people of Cyprus and reiterated the willingness of Canada for a strengthened bilateral relationship and wished the new High Commissioner every success in fulfilling his diplomatic mission.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Famagusta Mayor, Simos Ioannou, has said that the Municipality will make representations against the decision of the Committee of Deputy Ministers of the Council of Europe to end the Council’s supervision process in the implementation of the ECHR Decision, regarding Titina Loizidou’s individual application against Turkey.

 

Ioannou noted that in this framework the Municipality is cooperating with member of the Cyprus delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), MP Constantinos Efstathiou, and other officials, with a view to promote coordinated efforts against the decision by Cyprus.

 

In statements to the parliament on Tuesday, after attending a meeting of the parliamentary refugees committee, Ioannou said that this was a negative decision for Cyprus and that the Famagusta Municipality aims to help the efforts of the Cypriot side, with a view to revoke this decision, which he described as unjust. Moreover, he noted that this decision has given an alibi to Turkey for not complying with Court decisions.

 

He also said that he is is contact with MP Constantinos Efstathiou with view to prepare a letter on this matter, noting that Efstathiou will put this issue forward at PACE. Moreover he also noted that the Municipality is in contact with the Foreign Ministry, with a view to contribute to efforts of the Cypriot side.

 

“Our position is the same as the official position of the Republic of Cyprus, that the issue will not be solved by legal means, but by political means,” he added.

 

Ioannou also said that the Municipality has planned to hold contacts in Brussels, London and the US in the near future, and that an event will take place in Brussels, at the initiative of Cypriot MEPs on the issue of Famagusta.

 

He also noted that the Municipality will have meetings with Ambassadors of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, with the first one being that with the French Ambassador next week.

 

Loizidou, a Greek Cypriot applicant sought to enforce a 1996 ECHR judgment concerning the restitution and peaceful enjoyment of her property in Turkish-occupied Kyrenia, in the northern coast of Cyprus. Turkey attempted several times in the past to close the supervision of the case in Strasbourg, where the Committee of Ministers holds its sessions.

 

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. The European Court of Human Rights sentenced Turkey in numerous cases, brought forward by Greek Cypriots, concerning the violation of their fundamental human rights, following the 1974 invasion.

 

Varosha, the fenced off section of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta, is often described as a ‘ghost town’.

 

UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. UN Security Council resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.

 

Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha. On October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. Both the UN Secretary-General and the EU expressed concern, while the UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action. In his latest report to the Security Council, UN Secretary-General Guterres underlines the importance of adhering fully to UN resolutions, underscoring that the position of the United Nations on this matter “remains unchanged.”

 

On October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. Both the UN Secretary-General and the EU expressed concern, while the UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

President of the House of Representatives Anita Demetriou has attended the state funeral of former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe.

 

A press release by the Parliament says that Demetriou, who is in Japan representing the Cyprus President, attended the official ceremony that took place at the Nippon Budokan Stadium, in Tokyo, in the presence of heads of state and government, Speakers of Parliaments and other high-ranking officials from various countries, who paid tribute to the memory of the deceased.

 

Later on, she attended an official ceremony that was held at the Akasaka Imperial Palace, where she conveyed the sincere condolences of the Cypriot government and the House of Representatives to Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida, to Secretary General of the Council of Ministers Hirokazu Matsuno, to Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and the family of the deceased, the statement concludes.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The number of tourist arrivals in Cyprus this year were satisfactory despite the losses recorded from the British and Russian markets, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Savvas Perdios has said, pointing out that the strategy to tap new European markets paid off as some 40% of the arrivals recorded in 2022 came from EU countries, up by 22% compared with 2019.

 

The strategy to diversify the markets of the Cyprus tourism industry, focusing on European markets, was successful, according to data provided by the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Savvas Perdios.

 

Perdios who was addressing the extraordinary General Assembly of the Cyprus Hotel Association (CHA) to mark World Tourism Day, noted that in 2022 some 40% of tourists’ arrivals were from the EU, up by 22% from 2019.

 

Cyprus was prepared to tackle the loss of the Russian market, he said. “The goal was to attract 200.000 arrivals from other markets”, he said, in order to cover for the loss of 800,000 arrivals from the Russian market. He noted that Cyprus was successful on that, since for the first 8 months of 2022 160,000 new arrivals from EU were recorded, adding that there is still time to accomplish the goal until the end of the year.

 

Perdios added that 40% of the total arrivals now come from EU markets, recording an increase of 22% in comparison to 2019, although the total arrivals are down by 22%. More specifically, he said that arrivals from Germany increased by 26%, from Poland 134%, from Denmark by 70%, from France by 100%, from Austria by 57%.

 

Regarding tourism in the winter period, the Deputy Minister said that the airline schedules for December, on a weekly basis, include 65 flights from the United Kingdom, 38 from Israel, 25 from Germany, 23 from Poland, 14 from Lebanon, 13 from Austria, 13 from Romania, 12 from Bulgaria, 10 from Hungary, 8 from Italy, 6 from France, 6 from Serbia, etc.

 

The CHA’s President, Haris Loizides, said that the tourism industry, which is the most affected industry by the coronavirus pandemic, is restarting in very difficult conditions, with the global economy being hit by the rising prices and the energy crisis.

 

“We are facing a crisis that limits the ability of Europeans to travel”, he said, adding that the pandemic has taught patience and perseverance, while the Ukraine crisis has shown the importance of avoiding over-reliance on some markets.

 

Loizides added that the World Tourism Organization has designated 2022 as the year of restarting tourism, focusing on rebuilding the tourism industry on a more solid basis, with priority on people and the environment, for a more resilient and inclusive tourism industry.

 

The evolution of tourism into a pillar of sustainable development, goes through the national strategy for tourism of 2030, he said, for the upgrading and readjustment of the tourism model, with new elements, beyond the sun and the sea, with the aim of attracting quality tourism and increasing revenue.

 

CHA’s President said that in 2023, despite the challenges, the effort to access the European markets must continue. “We are obliged to learn to operate without excessive dependence on specific markets. We are obliged to constantly expand the circle of markets from which we attract tourism”, he noted.

 

“Without government support, it would be impossible for the tourism industry, and the hotel industry in particular, to successfully overcome the complications of the pandemic. That is why we are convinced that public and private sectors’ cooperation is the ideal recipe for dealing with crises”, he added.

 

Regarding the green restart of the tourism industry, he said that it is inevitable to switch to alternative forms of energy, as the current costs are too high for hotels. “That is why, as an Association, we are intensifying our efforts to create photovoltaic parks, which will provide energy to the hotels of Cyprus, thus reducing operating costs”.

 

Cyprus Hotel Association awarded the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Transport, Communications and Work and the Deputy Minister of Tourism, while the Minister of Labour and Social Insurance received an honorary distinction in honor of his predecessor, the deceased Zeta Emilianidou.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency