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1141. Gradual easing of measures starts next week

The President’s Cabinet approved a gradual lift of a partial lockdown starting on Monday, with the health minister saying the decision was designed to avoid making hasty moves...

1142. Astra offers small concession, EU pleads for UK-made shots amid vaccine row

AstraZeneca has offered to bring forward some deliveries of its Covid-19 vaccine to the European Union while the bloc has asked the British drugmaker if it can divert doses from the UK to make up for a shortfall in supplies, European officials told Reuters....

1143. EU scrambles for supply amid vaccine clatter

Cypriot EU Commissioner Stella Kyriakides says AstraZeneca’s revised schedule for delivering fewer doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in coming weeks is “not acceptable” while the European Ombudsman embarks on an investigation into vaccine contracts...

1144. 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...

1145. Police limit cars in Troodos square

Police say they will limit the number of vehicles allowed into or near Troodos Square, following reports of health protocol violations, in an effort to slow down the rapid spread of COVID-19...

1146. Report shows Limassol takes lead in new cases detected

A fresh national surveillance report monitoring the development of the coronavirus pandemic showed that the majority of cases detected over the two week period spanning from January 6-19 involved Limassol residents....

1147. COVID-19 is adding new impetus to finance transformation

1148. Inoculated president sets tone for country

1149. Smoothening the cliff edge in EU-UK relations

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the United Kingdom and the European Union came into effect on January 1, 2021, capping a tumultuous four-and-a-half-year period since the shocking result of the July 2016 Brexit referendum, in which 51.9% of the British voters voted in favor of leaving the EU. Subject to the delayed assent of the European Parliament, this UK-EU free trade agreement (FTA) extends zero-tariff and quota-free trade in goods between the two economic areas....

1150. Moderna vaccine arrives in Cyprus

The first batch of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines arrived in the Republic of Cyprus on Tuesday, as part of a European vaccination programme, with officials pinning their hopes on AstraZeneca which is not far behind...

1151. Ledra substation up and running in old Nicosia

A police substation is back up and running 24 hours a day in downtown Nicosia, with officials hoping not only to promote a sense of security in the old city but also carry out inspections to ensure compliance with the latest emergency health laws...

1152. Cyprus’ vaccine appointments booked solid

Appointment slots for the vaccine were booked solid in Nicosia after midnight, with other districts quickly following suit as Cypriots rushed to the state’s vaccine portal to reserve their shot...

1153. Pfizer suggests vaccine can beat mutations

Pfizer Inc and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine appeared to work against a key mutation in the highly transmissible new variants of the coronavirus discovered in the UK and South Africa, according to a laboratory study conducted by the US drugmaker...

1154. Cabinet locked into partial lockdown

A partial lockdown is expected to go into effect in the Republic of Cyprus some time after Friday, when the President’s Cabinet will decide on new measures to fight further spread of the coronavirus through the end of the month...

1155. EU trying to find ways around vaccine shortage

The European drugs regulator could soon give the go ahead for an extra sixth dose to be extracted from Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine vials, an EU official told Reuters on Wednesday, lifting the number of available shots at a time when supplies are short....

1156. Government buys time on new COVID measures

The health, finance, and labour ministers of the Republic of Cyprus have been tasked to reconcile a number of issues before a Cabinet meeting on Friday, essentially stalling the announcement of new COVID measures which was expected on Thursday...

1157. Officials in the dark over mutation spread

Health officials in the Republic of Cyprus say the new strain of coronavirus, found initially in the UK and confirmed on the island last week, has spread in the community but an accurate picture of the problem remained unclear due to only a very small sample size being tested...

1158. Cyprus holds turned thumb over lockdown

Cyprus’ lockdown stance continued to remain unclear following a special meeting between experts and the health minister, with the government hinting thumbs down for a new lockdown citing economic reasons but also thumbs up for stricter measures after hospitalizations reached dangerous levels...

1159. Migrants at sea reach Cyprus after dark

A boat with Syrian refugees arrived in Cyprus around midnight, with coast guard officials allowing women and children to spend the night at the marina while COVID-19 tests have been ordered on all 55 persons...

1160. Lockdown stance not clear in Cyprus

The number of hospitalized patients being treated for COVID-19 in the Republic of Cyprus has reached dangerous levels, with experts and government officials under criticism for lack of decisive action during the holidays...

1161. Cyprus confirms highly contagious strain

Health officials in the Republic of Cyprus have confirmed a new strain of the coronavirus found in the UK late last year has also been found on the island, with experts saying the new variant has a much higher infection rate...

1162. Quarantine hairstylist says he broke no laws

A hairstylist who tested positive for COVID-19 and suffered the wrath of the press after police cited him for violating health protocols says he did not break any laws, with police urging the public to remain vigilant in the fight against the spread of the virus...

1163. Lute set to visit Cyprus anew by mid-January

The UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cyprus, Jane Holl Lute, is expected to visit the island anew during the first half of January in view of holding meetings with the leaders of the two sides as preparations continue toward the organisation of an informal conference on the Cyprus problem....

1164. A timeline of the coronavirus pandemic in Cyprus

The coronavirus pandemic in Cyprus, which kicked off mildly at first with double-digit daily new cases before the second wave sent the island into unprecedented terrain with hundreds of daily new cases and the healthcare system ready to give in at any given time, can be generally divided into four stages. ...

1165. EU to buy extra 100 mln doses of Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine

The European Union will buy an extra 100 million doses of Pfizer and BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine, bringing the total from the two firms to 300 million doses, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday....

1166. Covid-positive Nicosia hairdresser to face court after returning to work

A Nicosia hairdresser who had tested positive for coronavirus broke quarantine and continued working, it emerged on Tuesday....

1167. January approval for AstraZeneca vaccine by EMA unlikely

The European Medicines Authority (EMA) will most likely not be able to approve the Covid-19 vaccine developed by drug maker AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford in January, the watchdog's Deputy Executive Director Noel Wathion said....

1168. Police story not good enough for health expert

A member of the coronavirus task force has drawn a connection between his role in the pandemic and a recent incident when his car was vandalized, while police said the incident appeared to be a random act...

1169. Cyprus upbeat after first shots

Cypriot patients received their first vaccine shot against COVID-19 on Sunday without immediate side effects, at a time when the coronavirus referral hospital was nearing capacity and experts saying protection for those vaccinated will kick in seven days after their second dose...

1170. First batch arrives in Cyprus

The first batch of vaccines reached Cyprus on Saturday, a day after Christmas, with a senior home and a referral hospital getting the first vaccinations on the island as early as Sunday...