President to address nation on coronavirus

The President of the Republic of Cyprus will address the public on Friday, expected to call on private citizens to keep their outings to a minimum as cases of the coronavirus are expected to rise on the island.

According to local media, Anastasiades will address the public in the evening at 8:30pm. He is expected to follow up on calls to employers in the private sector to show flexibility and accommodate the needs of their employees as they embark on stricter measures to contain the coronavirus spread.

The president is also expected to announce a pack of economic and social measures aimed by the government at assisting the state and the public in coping with the cost in combating the infectious disease.

Earlier this week, local media reported that the ministers of health, finance, and labour had been working around the clock to propose measures in direct response to coronavirus, operating under public health guidelines which can cut red tape considerably.

Local reports said the president was adamant about getting the situation under control before the summer tourism period was in full swing.