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1711. Lifting restrictions signal progress, but concerns high over relapse

Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said Wednesday that with the island moving toward recovering from the coronavirus outbreak, the gradual lifting of measures set to begin next week is a testament of the progress being made, but it also a source of intense concern over a potential relapse....

1712. Exit roadmap foresees economy on recovery path by Q3 2020

Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said Thursday that the government’s lockdown exit roadmap, aspects of which were presented by the President on Wednesday night, aims to see the island’s economy on the path of recovery by the fourth quarter of this year....

1713. More cell phone antennas torched in Cyprus

It turns out that another cell phone antenna was torched in Limassol earlier this week, when media reported on a second arson attack within just one month...

1714. Cyprus announces 'timid first steps' in easing restrictions

In a televised national address on Wednesday night, President Nicos Anastasiades presented the detailed plan of the first two phases of Cyprus’ lockdown exit plan, with the first phase, which will see a timid resumption of the economy and a small loosening of restrictions on individual freedoms, set to begin on May 4....

1715. President to announce Cyprus lockdown exit strategy

The eagerly-awaited government decisions on Cyprus’ lockdown exit strategy will be announced by President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, in a national address on Wednesday night....

1716. Limassol sees second cell phone antenna arson

Limassol is proving to be an unsafe place for cell phone antennas, as police on Tuesday were searching for the perpetrators of a second arson attack within a month....

1717. Nicosia youth who lost fingers speaks out

A teenager, who blew off three of his fingers after a firework tube exploded in his hand, took to social media to warn his peers against the use of illegal pyrotechnics...

1718. Cyprus shaken by loud Easter fireworks

Nicosia was shaken by non-stop fireworks and police sirens on Holy Saturday, as Greek Orthodox Christians observed the first celebration of Easter at midnight amid a pandemic lockdown...

1719. Future for rescued refugees in north unknown

The fate of 175 Syrian refugees, trapped in the north of the island amid the coronavirus pandemic, remains unknown while a human rights group is calling on Greek Cypriot authorities to take them in...

1720. Police seize scrap wood for Easter bonfires

Local crews in Nicosia’s Strovolos municipality have been busy removing scrap wood stashed away in abandoned buildings in an effort to crack down on illegal lambradjia bonfires on upcoming Holy Saturday...

1721. Twitter unfreezes Chinese ambassador account

China's ambassador to the Republic of Cyprus was back online Wednesday night after Twitter unblocked his account following a two-day freeze...

1722. President slams 5G 'fake news'

President Nicos Anastasiades stepped in on Wednesday in attempt to effectively put an end to the “fake news” stirring up “unfounded” concerns among the public over the coronavirus crisis being taken advantage of for the quiet installation of 5G network infrastructure....

1723. Cops won’t mess around during holy week

Law enforcement officials have announced they will step up patrols throughout the holy week, leading to the Greek orthodox Easter on April 19, singling out delinquent teens while giving a heads up to groups of foreign nationals...

1724. Perpetrator of brutal Paphos murder still at large

Police have arrested eight people in connection with a violent stabbing incident in Paphos last Friday that left a 20-year-old dead, but the perpetrator is believed to still be at large....

1725. Boris Johnson in good spirits

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is out of intensive care as he continues to recover from a COVID-19 infection, but he remains under close observation in hospital...

1726. Thunderstorms, hailstorms, and grim weather across Cyprus

The sunny spring days Cyprus usually sees around this time of year were nowhere to be seen on Thursday as hail and thunderstorms affected many areas of the island, with the Met Office issuing a yellow weather warning that will remain in effect until 6pm....

1727. Cyprus stays put beyond Easter

Church and state got behind scientists this week in the Republic of Cyprus, with the government extending measures beyond Easter to stop the spread of Covid-19 despite partial data suggesting a flattening of the curve...

1728. President: Lockdown measures extended until end of April

Lockdown and other measures in place to contain the coronavirus outbreak will be extended until April 30, with no exceptions to be made during the Orthodox Easter period, President Nicos Anastasiades said in his televised national address on Wednesday night....

1729. President to address nation for third time

President Nicos Anastasiades will address the nation at 7pm on Wednesday for the third time since the Cyprus coronavirus outbreak, with the address expected to announce the extension of current measures until the end of April, but may also include additional measures....

1730. 'Super Pink Moon' to rise in Cyprus skies tonight

The Super Pink Moon, the biggest and brightest full moon of 2020, will reach peak brilliance in Cyprus skies just after 9pm on Tuesday night....

1731. Covid-19 death toll in Greece rises to 81

Greece’s coronavirus toll has risen to 81 with the death of a 42-year-old man in the northern port city of Thessaloniki and of an 84-year-old woman in Athens....

1732. Boris Johnson spends night in hospital

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was still in hospital on Monday suffering persistent coronavirus symptoms 10 days after testing positive for the virus, although Downing Street said he remained in charge of the government...

1733. Critical medical supplies delivered to Cyprus

An Aegean flight from China touched down in Larnaca on Saturday night, carrying medical supplies including personal protective equipment urgently needed by health workers in the Republic of Cyprus...

1734. Cypriot health minister speaks from the heart

Cyprus Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou says that his responsibility and that of the government is to protect people’s health, adding it is an obligation stemming from the Constitution as well as his own conscience...

1735. Foreign Ministry in lockdown after diplomat tests positive for COVID-19

A diplomat at the Foreign Ministry has tested positive for the virus, the Cyprus News Agency reported on Thursday, with the diplomat said to have come in contact with a small number of coworkers at the Ministry which was placed on lockdown on Wednesday night....

1736. Greece's response to coronavirus working, Mitsotakis tells CNN

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the measures his government has taken to curb the spread of the coronavirus appear to be working and thanked the Greek people for their cooperation, conceding however that “the hard work is still ahead of us.”...

1737. Clocks move forward this weekend

Daylight Saving Time went into effect on Sunday in Cyprus as public opinion around the world still remains divided on whether there is value in switching back and forth...

1738. Hospitals the Achilles heel of the pandemic

The suspension of patient admissions at all four state General Hospitals was one of the initial fears that was expressed by the state health services organization (SHSO), which oversees the island’s public hospitals that have borne the brunt of the coronavirus outbreak....

1739. New decree enforces ban on car sales, exempts certain groups from movement ban

1740. Persons travelling for permitted reasons to fill in a form or send SMS

During the partial curfew to be enforced at 6pm on Tuesday for three weeks, those wishing to leave their home or shelter for any of the reasons falling under the exceptions to the travel restriction must either fill in a special form or send a text message to 8998....