People stranded in Cyprus continue to be evacuated on rescue flights

Two rescue flights will be departing from Larnaca and Paphos International airports on Friday, evacuating people who were stranded in Cyprus after the ban imposed on flights due to the coronavirus pandemic.

CNA sources said that a flight to Tel Aviv was expected to depart from Larnaca carrying 29 passengers while 110 people will board a plane at Paphos airport headed to Helsinki

Five cargo flights are expected to arrive on Friday, as cargo planes are exempted in the government ban that came into effect on March 21.

Regarding UK citizens stranded on the island, the British High Commission said on Friday that even though the EasyJet airline had cancelled flights scheduled to depart for the UK on March 30 and March 31, as it has effectively suspended all flights until May, “it appears the airline is planning a rescue flight on 29 March from Paphos to London Gatwick”.

The BHC advised British tourists in Cyprus “to leave the island on this flight, or face a potential lengthy further stay,” urging those interested to keep checking EasyJet’s website or the BHC social media pages for further updates on the rescue flight.

Repatriated Cypriots in quarantine

A total of 1200 persons who have been repatriated, continue to remain in compulsory quarantine in 11 hotels that have been recruited for this purpose, Hoteliers’ Association President Haris Loizides told CNA.

The hotels are in mountainous resorts, Limassol and Larnaca. All hotels follow strict protection guidelines and are being patrolled by members of the police and the National Guard.

Residents at the hotels are following the orders in place, although in the initial phase there were isolated instances of disobedience.

The hotel residents remain in their rooms 24/7 and their food is brought to them and placed outside their rooms. Health services personnel are available at the hotels.

Loizides said that PASIXE has more hotels available in the government-controlled areas of the Famagusta district and in Paphos should additional need emerge.

The Hoteliers’ association has also made hotels available in each district for health professionals who wish to stay in hotel rooms instead of returning to their homes after their shifts for preventive reasons, in an effort to avoid putting their families in any danger.