Big if as Cyprus set to deliberate on measures

The Cypriot government is taking stock of recent restrictions against a further rapid spread of COVID-19, with reports pointing to plans being discussed to lift measures next month but also amid concerns over mutation fears and unknowns.

President Nicos Anastasiades was scheduled Monday to be briefed by health experts on the COVID task force committee, ahead of a Cabinet meeting later this week when a plan to relax measures is expected to be formulated.

According to Kathimerini Cyprus, an action plan named “Niki” (Greek for: victory) is under consideration where the government would go through a sequence of steps before gradually lifting current restrictions designed to stop the rapid spread of COVID-19.

Reports said those who drafted the plan anticipated that a restart of the economy could take place in two weeks from now, after next week's overall assessment of a lockdown through the end of this month, provided that strict health protocols and checks remain in place before many commercial activities can be resumed.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, health expert Petros Karayiannis, member of the health committee advising the administration, said lifting all pandemic restrictions could be possible by March, “provided that epidemiological figures allow it and there is no setback.”

Karayiannis reportedly told CNA that aiming for a two-digit daily count by next week was still possible, saying the ideal target for COVID-19 new daily cases ought to be under 100.

Mutation in the mix

But reports said Cyprus was among a number of EU states concerned over a coronavirus mutation first identified in Britain, with the Cypriot health ministry expecting the toll from the variant to be revealed in the next 6 to 12 weeks.

There was no full picture over the mutation in Cyprus but reports last December confirmed that the variant had reached the island.

“If cases decrease, it is easier to contain possible clusters,” Karayiannis said on Sunday.