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1411. Cyprus evaluating effectiveness of chloroquine drug against coronavirus

A consultative committee of experts at the Cyprus Ministry of Health is evaluating the effectiveness against coronavirus of the drug chloroquine, used to treat coronavirus in China and widely available in Cyprus....

1412. SMS service 8998 back online

The SMS service 8998 was once again up and running on Thursday morning, with replies sent back almost instantaneously in both Greek and English...

1413. SMS service 8998 gets the axe

The SMS service, operated by the government to enforce movement restrictions amid the coronavirus crisis, was back up and running smoothly on Wednesday morning, while the President of the Republic has warned that a total curfew would be in place if people abuse the service...

1414. Government considering to give banks €2b in state guarantees to unlock credit

The Cyprus government is considering a plan to provide state guarantees to banks amounting to €2 billion, in a bid to unlock credit to self-employed, small and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations hit by the coronavirus epidemic....

1415. Cyprus darts past 100 mark for confirmed coronavirus cases

Eight more people tested positive for coronavirus on Friday in the Republic of Cyprus, three of which involve health practitioners at the Paphos General Hospital....

1416. Second Paphos private hospital to limit operations after Covid-19 confirmation

The Evangelismos private hospital in Paphos became the second private hospital in the city on the southwest coast to limit its operations after a doctor working there tested positive for coronavirus on Friday....

1417. Elderly man killed while crossing the street

An elderly man was killed in a road accident in Limassol on Friday, after he was struck by an oncoming vehicle as he was trying to cross the road...

1418. Cyprus government: We are at a critical stage

A text message sent by the Interior Ministry and the Press and Information Office made the rounds on Thursday, warning that the island is “at a critical stage”....

1419. Elections in the north postponed for six months

Elections in the north that were set to take place in April have been postponed for six months amid mounting chain reactions of the coronavirus outbreak, Turkish Cypriot media reported on Tuesday....

1420. Migrant camps on Greek islands put on lockdown

No visitors, including members of organizations and agencies, will be allowed into the migrant reception and processing centers on the Greek islands for the next two weeks at least, the Migration Ministry said yesterday, announcing a series of measures to prevent a coronavirus outbreak in any of the facilities....

1421. New government travel restriction leaves thousands of Cypriots trapped abroad

Thousands of Cyprus nationals have reportedly been trapped abroad after the government said it would not allow entry to arrivals without valid health certificates, but labs abroad say they are following protocols whereby checks are only conducted on those showing symptoms....

1422. North in coronavirus crisis: hospitals, prisons in turmoil

On Monday morning, Turkish Cypriot authorities confirmed that the number of coronavirus cases had reached six, including four tourists from Germany who had arrived in the north last week, and two Turkish Cypriots who had recently returned from the UK....

1423. Trump declares coronavirus outbreak a national emergency

President Donald Trump said Friday he was declaring a national emergency -- "two very big words" -- to free up $50 billion in federal resources to combat coronavirus, part of a raft of new measures Trump hopes can bring a roiling health crisis under control....

1424. Suspension of all football leagues until end of March

1425. Police clamp down on violations of mass gatherings ban

Cyprus police have ramped up efforts to crack down on any violations of the ban on indoor public and private gatherings of over 75 people, enforced through a decree issued by the Health Minister in a bid to contain the coronavirus outbreak....

1426. EU slams Trump’s Europe travel ban

The European Union has slammed the new anti-virus travel ban announced by US President Donald Trump, lashing out at an “unilateral” decision taken “without consultation.”...

1427. Turkey announces first coronavirus case

Turkey announced its first case of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, with “patient zero” testing positive after a trip to Europe following some 2000 suspected cases that all came out negative...

1428. Updated guidelines for arrivals from high-risk countries

Updated guidelines for travellers were issued on Tuesday afternoon by the Health Ministry, which bumped the UK from a Category 2 high-risk country to Category 3, reportedly due to fears of massive economic implications....

1429. No spectators at Tokyo 2020 Games torch lighting ceremony

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics torch lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia will be the first in more 35 years to be held without spectators after organizers on Monday introduced tighter measures to protect against the coronavirus....

1430. Eight Turkish Cypriots rushed to hospital after Ledra checkpoint protest

Protesters gathered on both sides of the Ledra Street divide on Saturday to demonstrate against the closure of four checkpoints by the government of the Republic of Cyprus, a move it said was part of a bundle of coronavirus protection measures but which has been criticized as a measure veiling ulterior political motives....

1431. British Bases: No plan to shut Pergamos, Strovilia crossings

1432. Official guidelines for people returning from high-risk countries

1433. Checkpoint closures to be extended until Monday

The closure of four crossing points last Saturday, in what the Government said would be a one-week temporary precaution against coronavirus outbreak, will be extended until Monday, the National Council agreed on Thursday....

1434. Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy assumes duties

Kyriacos Kokkinos officially assumed his duties on Friday as Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, a Ministry established as part of promoting the government’s digital agenda....

1435. Greek PM meets with five EU leaders over bloc's budget

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held talks in Brussels on Friday with the leaders of Germany Angela Merkel, France Emmanuel Macron, Spain Pedro Sanchez, Italy Giuseppe Conte and Portugal Antonio Costa in a bid to break a deadlock in negotiations for the European Union’s 2021-2027 budget....

1436. Greece, US hold live-fire drill after major base deal

At the foot of Mount Olympus, army aviation forces from Greece and the United States are taking part in a live-fire exercise with attack helicopters, marking deepening defense ties between the two countries....

1437. Potatoes to be brought in from the north after cold blast damages crops

Potatoes harvested in the north will be transferred next Monday to government-controlled areas, where potato crops suffered heavy blows after successive days of heavy rain and frost....

1438. Drunk cabbie jailed after speedy trial

A taxi driver in Larnaca was sentenced to 15 days in prison and had his licence suspended by a judge who found him guilty of reckless driving and driving under the influence...

1439. Cyprus 'golden passports' scheme a laundering risk, says watchdog

A European money laundering watchdog has cautioned that a secretive investment-for-passports programme run by Cyprus was vulnerable to money laundering and fraught with risk...

1440. Police announce driving offences that can lead to license revocation

After the first days of February saw the first immediate revocations of the licences of two reckless drivers, the director of Traffic Police Yiannakis Georgiou on Tuesday specified the criteria that may land a driver a referral to the Road Transport Department for license revocation....