Category: General

More and more areas in eastern Europe that had been holding out, remaining in the red category of the epidemiological map of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), have now passed into the deep red category according to the latest edition of the map.

 

The rapid spread of the virus in the past few weeks resulted in most countries in the European Union and the European Economic Area being classified in the category that denotes the largest notification rates currently being measured.

 

Cyprus, along with most countries of the EU/EEA, remain in the deep red category.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

 

Endemicity of COVID has not been on the table in Cyprus, Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantelas said, noting that what has been discussed is how to learn to live with the virus.

 

Speaking to the press Thursday at the Parliament, the Minister said that if the measure “test to stay” which will be introduced in schools Monday, yields results, it is likely to be applied to other groups of population so that we can move to the endemicity phase.

 

He said that there is a major possibility the scientists to advise for the measure to be introduced in the wider society, and in particular in the health professionals and the security forces.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met on Wednesday in Athens with the newly-appointed Foreign Minister of Cyprus Ioannis Kasoulides, in the context of the latter`s first official visit to Greece after assuming his duties.

The Cyprus problem, Turkey`s aggressive rhetoric, and trilateral cooperation schemes were at the center of the meeting.

Welcoming the Cypriot Foreign Minister, Mitsotakis congratulated him on the assumption of his duties “after two previous, long and, by all accounts, successful terms”, as he said.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Department of Meteorology issued a yellow warning over extremely low temperatures, noting that the minimum temperature in Troodos highest peaks is expected to plunge to minus nine degree Celsius.

The warning is valid from 22:00 local time Wednesday until 08:00 local time Thursday.

“The minimum temperature over Troodos highest peaks is expected to fall to around minus 9 degrees Celsius,” the Department said.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Council of Ministers has approved a new Action Plan for the smooth operation of flights and the airports’ operation.

In statements, Transport, Communications and Works Minister Yiannis Karousos said that the action plan was submitted to the Cabinet by the Ministry, following a decision of the Inter-Ministerial Committee that was set up to evaluate the measures in force in relation to the current epidemiological data.

The current measures implemented at Larnaca and Paphos International Airports will remain in force until 28 February, he said while the new action plan will come into effect from 1st March.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Price Index of Construction Materials had a 17.1% increase in December 2021, compared to December 2020, reaching 119.66 units (base year 2015=100), according to data by the Statistical Service of Cyprus.

The largest increase, 30.17%, was recorded in metallic products. Particularly, iron and steel products had an increase of 40.45%, compared to December 2020.

An increase of 19.04% was noted in products of wood, insulation materials, chemicals and plastics. Electromechanical products had a rise of 13.02%, mineral products 5.41% and minerals 4.75%, compared to the same month of the previous year.

The yearly Price Index of construction materials rose to 112.6 units in 2021 (base year 2015=100).

For the period January-December 2021, the index recorded an increase of 10,98% compared to the corresponding period of 2020.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING) was accepted as a full member of four European Reference Networks (ERN), following the completion of an evaluation at local and European level, while remaining an associate member of five more, it was announced on Wednesday.

The European Reference Networks are virtual networks involving European healthcare providers and aim to facilitate collaboration on complex or rare diseases and conditions that require highly specialised treatment and the pooling of knowledge and resources.

The first ERNs were launched in March 2017 with the participation of more than 900 highly specialised healthcare facilities from over 300 hospitals in 26 EU countries, with 24 ERNs currently active in different areas.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Braving heavy snow and biting cold, families whose children have been abducted or forcibly recruited by the PKK terrorist organization held a sit-in on Wednesday in Turkiye’s eastern province of Mus.

Since April 7, 2021, families have been staging a sit-in every week outside the Mus office of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), an opposition party which the Turkish government accuses of having links to the PKK terrorist organization.

The families carried photos of their children and banners that read “Mothers are resisting”, “Enough is enough, leave our children” and “Get off our back.”

The protesters urged their children to surrender to Turkish security forces.

In Turkiye, offenders linked to terrorist groups who surrender are eligible for possible sentence reductions under a repentance law.

A mother, Gulbahar Teker, demanded the release of her son from the PKK terrorist organization and HDP.

Urging her son to surrender, Teker said that the Turkish state is strong and she will continue to protest until her son comes back.

“I will continue to protest until the end. I will not leave until HDP returns my child,” another mother Sahinaz Ozcan said.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US and EU — has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

Source: Anadolu Agency

As of January 31st, 2022, the period of validity of the certificate issued for those who have recovered from COVID-19 disease (EUDCC recovery) will be reduced from 180 days to 90 days, based on the Council of Ministers decision taken on December 21, 2021.

A Health Ministry press release issued on Wednesday said that this change will be valid for all holders of the EUDCC recovery certificate, regardless whether they issued the certificate before January 31, 2022.

It is also noted that these certificates will continue to be issued via the platform www.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The ‘test to stay’ measure will be introduced in schools from Monday, according to an announcement by the Health Ministry after a meeting between Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela and the Advisory Scientific Committee on the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Ministry said that further clarifications would be issued after the Ministerial Committee in charge of updating the health protocol in schools, convenes.

In addition, a proposal for the reduction of the self-isolation period for close contacts who are not vaccinated from 14 to 10 days is to be submitted on Wednesday to the Council of Ministers for approval.

Source: Cyprus News Agency