Court allows Protaras club that flouted COVID-19 decrees to open doors

The outdoor club in Protoaras that was forced to temporarily suspend operation earlier this month after it was found operating without a license and violating coronavirus decrees for consecutive days will be reopening its doors with the consent of the Famagusta district court.

The court on Tuesday examined an appeal filed by the club owners against the court order issued on June 9 instructing that the club immediately suspends operation.

Authorities had assembled nine cases against the club for offences recorded between June 5 and June 8 – five cases related to violations of coronavirus decrees under the Quarantine Law and four to the club’s operation without the necessary license from the deputy tourism ministry.

The appeal, filed some days after the court order instructed the club suspends operation, challenged the order’s validity.

Tuesday’s appeal hearing saw the Famagusta court lift the court order for the suspension of the club’s operation, as the club had managed to acquire operation licenses from the deputy tourism ministry and the Paralimni municipality on Monday.

While the club will be able to reopen its doors to the public, it is not out of the woods yet, as the five cases it has against it for violating coronavirus decrees for nights at a time still remain to be tried, with the hearing scheduled for June 24.