Paphos People

The path out of the lockdown which came into force on January 10 remains unclear but certain relaxations are all but guaranteed, reports suggest.

But what does that really mean? Well, out of the lockdown and into lockdown-lite. The current measures are scheduled to end on January 31.
The scientific advisory council met on Tuesday night and the key message is: “we need more time to see the effectiveness of the measures.”

But it appears, as was widely expected, that most measures will drag on for weeks – if not months – while some draconian restrictions, namely the SMS system, may soon be scrapped.

A member of the advisory team told the Cyprus Mail that the SMS system will almost certainly have to be dropped once some sectors of society and the economy are opened up, as otherwise: “It will lead to all kinds of problems.”

Household gatherings are a major cause for concern, the expert said, as it was one of the main transmission points.

It was also emphasised that while daily cases have dropped significantly since the 900 recorded in late December – to the 150 or so currently – the main indicator of when it may be appropriate to lower the drawbridge is the situation in the hospitals.

A further meeting is tentatively scheduled to take place towards the end of the week which will also be attended by the health ministry.

As has been the case since the outbreak in March, the foundational measures are to stay in place while others may gradually be peeled back.

Countries across the EU have extended their lockdowns despite a decrease in cases, such as Germany, but many are concerned that Cyprus’ pockets aren’t deep enough to follow suit.

Germany agreed to extend their lockdown until February 14, while Denmark already extended its lockdown for three more weeks and says yet another extension may be necessary.

Austria meanwhile extended its lockdown into February and expects the catering and tourism industry to remain shuttered until at least March.

https://cyprus-mail.com/2021/01/20/coronavirus-path-to-relaxations-still-unclear/

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Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”