Coronavirus triggers schools to close in the north

The education system in the occupied north of Cyprus will shut down for a week, after the Turkish Cypriot coalition decided to close all schools until Monday 16 March.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Turkish Cypriot education chief Nazim Cavusoglu after a meeting of the ruling coalition, following the first coronavirus case in the Turkish occupied north of the island.

The coalition has also decided to ban on visits or school trips abroad, planned for the next month, it also urged teachers and university staff to avoid travelling abroad in the coming weeks.

All on-the-job training courses and school events are also postponed until further notice.

Universities are to cooperate with the health authorities in applying protocols and measures while university hospitals will be placed at the disposal of the authorities.

All school after-hours activities are postponed until the coalition reassess the situation with the spread of the coronavirus.