Cyprus puts health over wealth | thearticle

The holiday island of Cyprus has effectively shut for business as the government races to stop the coronavirus from taking hold. Hot on the heels of a two-week ban on tourists entering the

country, more stringent measures on April 30, put the island into lockdown. Then on Monday night Nicos Anastasaides, the President of the Republic, went one step further, restricting

movement on the island to absolute necessities. Movement is banned unless it is necessary for: work; the purchase of supplies; visits to the doctor, the pharmacy or bank; or delivering aid

to vulnerable groups. The measures will be in force for three weeks and anyone violating the order will be fined €150. It’s a devastating blow for pretty much everyone on the island, many of

whom rely on holidaymakers to survive — and yet most people see no other way to confront the threat. Debbie Ioakim, a British woman who runs the Kalliopi Dive College in the Paphos region,

has lived in Cyprus for the past 28 years. She told _TheArticle_: “This is a disaster for the tourist industry and it will most likely seriously impact most businesses in Cyprus. But what

alternative do we have?” The Cypriot health ministry announced 21 new Covid-19 cases on Monday evening, bringing the number to 116 in the government-controlled areas plus 39 in the north,

making a total of 155 island-wide. So far, there has been only one fatality, a high-risk patient who became infected at Paphos General Hospital. However, seven patients remain in intensive

care. Compared to many countries, the Cypriot authorities have acted swiftly to contain the virus. Following the comprehensive ban on anyone entering the country only nationals and legal

residents were permitted entry, provided they could show a medical certificate declaring themselves coronavirus-free. As of this weekend, all repatriation flights have come to an end, with

those who returned home to Cyprus have been placed under quarantine. Students attending universities abroad were encouraged to stay put over the Easter break, with a €750 allowance offered

by the government to tide them over. Michelle Simmonds, whose daughter Eva is studying Maths and Actuarial Science at Southampton, says she is disappointed she won’t see her youngest child

this Easter. Even so, she welcomes the restrictions. “I’m completely supportive of the measures taken by the government,” she said. “My concern now is for the safety of my two daughters

stuck on another small island where the government appeared to take the most laid back and frankly dangerous approach to a virus which is spreading at an unprecedented pace.” “My daughter is

only 18 years-old, yet she decided it was an unnecessary risk to her Cyprus-based friends and family to travel home. It’s a shame the UK government didn’t share her immediate concern.”

Among the emergency measures taken by the Cyprus government to contain Covid-19 is a mass lockdown of businesses, including shopping malls, cafes, restaurants, bars, shops, recreation

centres, museums, sports centres, theme parks, cinemas and even churches. Only essential services such as supermarkets, pharmacies, bakeries, petrol stations, kiosks and private health

services remain open. Annie Bourton who runs the Frog and Toad pub in the tourist hotspot of Coral Bay, closed her doors to the general public almost two weeks ago. Yet far from being angry

she echoes much of the current sentiment of other affected business owners. “We’re not panicking because this is out of our hands. We’re not the only business that’s had to close its doors

for the time being, but we will keep people updated with any changes. We remain positive and we’re grateful to the powers that be that they are doing this for our safety.” To soften the

economic blow, the government has dropped the VAT rate from 19-17 per cent. It’s also put a multi-million-euro cash injection into the health service and provided financial support for

single parent families. However, with tourism playing such a huge economic role on the island, many are concerned about the future if the crisis seeps further into the holiday season.

Approximately 1.3 million Brits come to the island each year, making up more than a quarter of all visitors. In 2019, revenue from Cyprus’s 3.9 million tourists came in at a little under

€2.7 billion. Carol Jones has worked as a wedding coordinator in Paphos for the past seven years. “Cyprus has a huge wedding market and the various Facebook sites are currently filled with

disappointed brides and even more disappointed planners and suppliers,” she said. “TUI [formerly Thomson Travel Group] is probably the biggest wedding planner out there, but there are

thousands of small independents, florists, cake makers, makeup artists and hairdressers who will be feeling the pressure immediately. At the moment, there is no wedding season.”