Back to Work !!!

[Barman]

So .. Full Lockdown from Monday

1 SMS per day

Curfew from 21:00

Until 10/05/2021

 

[Grumpmeister]

So .. Full Lockdown from Monday

1 SMS per day

Curfew from 21:00

Until 10/05/2021

 

Is that one SMS received per day or you are only allowed to send one...? 

[Barman]

So .. Full Lockdown from Monday

1 SMS per day

Curfew from 21:00

Until 10/05/2021

 

Is that one SMS received per day or you are only allowed to send one...? 

One request to be allowed outside... 

[Barman]

Bars and restaurants closed... again...

[apc2010]

   glad just got new telebox thingy .....

[Barman]

The government on Friday imposed a fresh lockdown for two weeks between April 26 and May 9 in a bid to stem the rapid spread of Covid infections, which are threatening to overrun the island’s health system.

The lockdown will be lifted on May 10 but visiting crowded venues will require negative Covid tests or being vaccinated or having gone through the illness inside the past three months. Venues include catering, places where people gather, gyms, retail outlets, theatres. It was not immediately clear if it included supermarkets as well.

“We cannot remain indifferent to the rising number of infections together with the intense pressure on the health system because of the large number of hospitalisations,” Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said.

The minister said the situation required “difficult decisions and drastic measures” In a bid to stem the spread of the virus in the community and reduce the number of hospitalisations.

The new measures include a 9pm to 5am curfew with the exception of people travelling to work or health related movement.

Gatherings are also banned, irrespective of venue and only one outing per day will be permitted via text message. No text will be required for those going to a vaccination centre.

The operation of hospitality venues, including those in shopping centres, is suspended with the exception of delivery and take away. Only delivery services are permitted after 9pm.

Shops, apart from those selling food and drink or other essential items will also close.

Easter Sunday is exempted from the restrictions, the minister said. Apart from the permanent residents, people from two other families can be at a home, provided their number does not exceed 10 persons, including minors.

Places of religious worship will operate without the presence of worshippers. Weddings, christenings, and funerals can have a maximum number of 10 people.

On Easter Saturday (May 1) worshippers will be allowed in church courtyards provided they are seated and observe physical distancing and other health protocols.

Fifty people will be allowed inside based on protocols. No worshippers can attend church services during the other days of the Holy Week.

The curfew will be extended until 1am on May 1 to accommodate churchgoers.

The order mandates work from home for at least 20 per cent of workers in public services, apart from those deemed essential.

Private businesses can have 20 per cent of their staff present, with three being the minimum and 25 the maximum.

The number of staff requiring testing is raised to 50 per cent. Businesses where up to five people would be present must test all of them.

Outdoor and indoor cinemas, theatres, and other halls will close.

Gyms, dance, and other schools will also close. Personal training outdoors will be allowed provided there are only two people.

Betting shops, barbers, hairdressers, and beauticians will also close.

All group private tuition is banned, as well as sports and social activities involving children under 18.

 

[Steve]

They had to do something

https://covid19.ucy.ac.cy/

[Steve]

Could be worse though https://covid.saude.gov.br/

[Barman]

They had to do something

https://covid19.ucy.ac.cy/

Yes, the same thing that clearly hasn't worked so far was the obvious choice wasn't it...?

[Steve]

They had to do something

https://covid19.ucy.ac.cy/

Yes, the same thing that clearly hasn't worked so far was the obvious choice wasn't it...?

It was working and seems they then relaxed it.  Lockdowns work at suppressing the cases until vaccination creates herd immunity.  Half arsed lockdown lites don't especially when new variants emerge.

Just look at the caseload curve
 
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/cyprus/

[Barman]

They had to do something

https://covid19.ucy.ac.cy/

Yes, the same thing that clearly hasn't worked so far was the obvious choice wasn't it...?

It was working and seems they then relaxed it.  Lockdowns work at suppressing the cases until vaccination creates herd immunity.  Half arsed lockdown lites don't especially when new variants emerge.

Just look at the caseload curve
 
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/cyprus/

Not really no...

We're still under lockdown restrictions, only allowed out twice a day (after seeking permission via SMS), masks everywhere, no indoor drinking or dining... The only real relaxation has been allowing outdoor dining and drinking...

From Monday we'll be even more locked down, only allowed out once a day and everything closed again - no doubt 'non-essential items' roped-off in supermarkets... Apart from Easter when the virus is apparently taking a holiday...

The facts are that Lockdown hasn't worked as claimed on the tin. If it did, we wouldn't need to go into a third on Monday (which in itself is causing shops, bars and restaurants to be rammed this weekend )

Perhaps it is a cultural thing, Cypriots like to shop daily... Perhaps it is a 'small number of idiots that don't obey the rules' but that isn't my observation, masks are everywhere (even single drivers in cars) and the expats are fanatical about the rules... Perhaps it is keeping people locked-up and away from fresh air and sunshine that is having an effect on the numbers...?

Bottom line is that Locking down has put the economy in the toilet and hasn't had an effect on the numbers - nor can anybody here explain why the numbers are rising...

And people are completely fed up with it now, they've obeyed the rules, they've watched the businesses of friends and relatives collapse (a friend that has run a hairdressers in the village for years threw in the towel after yesterday's announcement) and here we go again into yet more restrictions.

The comments in This Cyprus Mail article sum up the general mood I think...

[Steve]

We're never going to agree BM but the figures support me.  Lockdown lites do little, true lockdowns suppress the caseloads and keep health services from collapse but they're only buying time. 

Your vaccination level is very low, your caseloads are exponentially increasing and if you don't lockdown again then in a matter of weeks you will be like India is now and then you really will see an economic disaster. 

[Barman]

We're never going to agree BM but the figures support me.  Lockdown lites do little, true lockdowns suppress the caseloads and keep health services from collapse but they're only buying time. 

They don't tho... Look at Florida and Texas... In fact compare all 50 states and the ones that have little to no lockdown fare better than those that have it hard...

Ultimately, Lockdown could work if you really locked everybody in their homes and delivered food parcels... But you can't do that... People need to eat, essential workers need to work. Locking people up indoors and mask wearing are not conducive to good health or hygiene.

Your vaccination level is very low, your caseloads are exponentially increasing and if you don't lockdown again then in a matter of weeks you will be like India is now and then you really will see an economic disaster.

Which surely proves my points...? We're in Lockdown already and yet cases are increasing... We'll be in more Lockdown next week (apart from Easter natch ) but we'll still have to go out to buy food and other supplies... A short, hard Lockdown is going to achieve nothing except financial ruin...

[Steve]

The Cyprus papers I saw say you won't be in lockdown til Monday.  If it's obeyed you can then expect cases per day to peak within 1 to 2 weeks and the death rate to peak about 2 to 3 weeks after that

Same papers say you went out of lockdown into lockdown lite opening all shops on Feb 1st.  Lockdown lites don't have much effect as people just take the piss

[Steve]

Also interesting that the highest number of cases since that Feb 1st relaxation are in 20 to 39 years olds