We are sharing for readers who are seeking the latest facts and information news recently provided by the British Residents’ Society to their members.
March Updates
THIS UPDATE CONTAINS INFORMATION REGARDING LOCKDOWN/CURFEW, RETURNING TO THE TRNC AND THE NEW ONLINE VACCINATION PROGRAM
CHANGES TO CURFEW/LOCKDOWN
PLEASE REMEMBER
A partial curfew, except to meet essential needs remains in place between
9pm Saturday 20th March and 5am Monday 22nd March.
This has now been extended until Monday 29nd March
The night-time curfew remains between 9pm and 5am – Monday to Saturday.
All businesses and activities, except for pharmacies, petrol stations, bakeries (production only) livestock, and related enterprises will continue to be closed on Sundays.
Markets will be open between 8 am and 8 pm. (Including Saturdays) Retail and merchandising services (except supermarkets and workplaces supplying all sectors) will be open between 10 am and 8 pm.
Decisions on whether or not to open closed sectors will be discussed and announced next week according to case numbers.
Starting this week, employees at betting offices will be allowed to open on March 24 having completed PCR tests by Wednesday, March 24. Only 30% of the sessions can be held within the venue.
It was decided to reopen training at swimming pools for licensed swimmers. There will be no courses (aquarobics etc) allowed in the pools.
Fitness halls can be reopened on March 24, they will be able to open if staff have the required PCR tests.
The decision was made to continue and complete work in order to move to home quarantine. From April 12, we will wait for the implementation of the wristband application in our country.
Performance artists such as theatre and concerts were deemed suitable to do their work individually. They will be able to work in groups of two.
Movement between districts will continue to be with the permission of District Police Boards.
Public transport will be allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity. Seats behind drivers will be left empty.
Due to the higher infection rate in Girne and Lefkosa, public transport services will only be allowed to operate within their own districts.
Restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops are currently allowed to serve sit-in customers during the week in outdoor seating areas.
A decision whether or not to allow restaurants to serve sit-in customers indoors will be made following evaluations to be made by the Higher Committee for Infectious Diseases later this week.
Individual and non-contact training for sports activities is permitted.
RETURN TO THE TRNC
We are aware from the number of queries we have seen both via emails to the website and from posts and comments on our Facebook Group page that there is frustration regarding the requirement to carry ORIGINAL documents (kocan, sales and rental contracts) if returning to the TRNC, if you DO NOT have a current residency permit.
We have talked to Government officials regarding this and have asked them to reconsider but they are reluctant at present to accept copies. One of the reasons given is the ease with which copies can be ‘altered’.
This past week we have met with senior Officials at the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation and the Foreign Minister to discuss this issue and were pleased to hear that they are looking at a resolution for this problem.
Added to this is the ongoing battle to secure sufficient doses of vaccines to drive the infection rate down, as we have seen in the UK. Currently the EU vaccines that were promised to be supplied to the TRNC from the Republic of Cyprus have not been delivered on time or in the correct quantities. We have complained vociferously to the British High Commission and have requested a response from them about this issue, but we have simply received the usual non-committal reply telling us nothing.
The one exception to this is the supply of vaccines being sent to the TRNC by Turkey. We are also aware of some people’s reluctance regarding the SINOVAC vaccine, but we need to appreciate that the efficacy rates of varying vaccines change dependant on the recipient. Surely some protection is better than none! The latest results for this vaccine announced this week following tests here in the TRNC are incredibly positive, particularly if you should be unlucky enough to contract the virus following inoculation, as there are NO recorded cases of people in this category becoming seriously ill or it proving fatal.
NEW VACCINATION REGISTRATION PROCESS
A new online vaccination registration process has been launched. Once registered you will subsequently receive a date and time of the appointment along with a QR code which will confirm your identity.
Click here for a PDF document which shows the registration page translated into English.
Editor’s note: For those readers wishing to learn more of the British Residents’ Society and registration as a member which can be started on-line please visit their website – https://brstrnc.com :
With all the consternation of unfulfilled vaccine orders from the EU raging here in the UK we were dismayed to hear that the TRNC is facing the same problem. Can you please clarify the details of the contract and what the official line from the UK Government is on that. Is it purely down to production issues?
Hello Di,
The situation is the EU is in meltdown and not being managed correctly and with firness and since Brexit they have been doing their best to score the UK
As for the TRNC, we all know they want to keep the unjustice going in favour of and on behalf of the so-called Republic of Cyprus and you may have read this recent statement by the British Residents Society.
“Added to this is the ongoing battle to secure sufficient doses of vaccines to drive the infection rate down, as we have seen in the UK. Currently, the EU vaccines that were promised to be supplied to the TRNC from the Republic of Cyprus have not been delivered on time or in the correct quantities. We have complained vociferously to the British High Commission and have requested a response from them about this issue, but we have simply received the usual non-committal reply telling us nothing.
As normal the UK fail to comment or act to live up to their responsibility as a guarantor power of the original formation agreement of the Republic of Cyprus
Thank you so much for your very prompt reply to my query. It’s so good to have all this inside information. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate these updates.
Have a good week and let’s hope the vaccine rollout in the TRNC gathers momentum very soon. Di