There is media speculation the government is set to start relaxing COVID-19 restrictive measures from 4 May, if new coronavirus cases do not spike as a result of violating social distancing during Easter.
Reportedly, the date was decided following a series of meetings President Anastasiades had with social partners, political parties, and advice from the Epidemiological Monitoring Unit.
However, the government and health services are said to be reluctant to announce a specific date in fear of cases spiralling back up, postponing any official decision until 29 April when Anastasiades will preside over a cabinet meeting.
Authorities are concerned that the downward trend of cases is fragile and are waiting for next week’s data, which will reveal whether restrictive measures were observed during the Easter holidays.
An important indicator for scientists to give the green light will be the virus’ rate of transmission, known as the R0.
The latest data regarding the R0 of the virus in Cyprus is encouraging.
Initially, data showed that each positive case transmitted the virus to another three people. Today, transmissibility seems to be limited to less than one person, according to the Health Minister.
Another cause for concern, as stated by Dr Leontios Kostrikis, advisor to the Health Ministry on the coronavirus crisis, is that parts of society have yet to be tested.
These include asylum seekers who are allowed to work and other foreign nationals who used to be employed in the construction sector but lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
On April 28, the scientific team in collaboration with the inter-ministerial committee will inform the President of their final proposal.
The Cabinet will then convene on April 29 to take decisions.
The advisory team and Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou had briefed the President on Wednesday over the downward trend of cases and tabled their initial proposals regarding relaxing measures.
First to open
According to reports, these include a number of businesses reopening, such as construction sites, followed by hairdressers.
From the beginning of May, citizens will be allowed out of their homes, more than once a day, with reports indicating that initially each citizen will be granted two outings a day.
By mid-June, churchgoers will be allowed to attend mass, and sporting events are to resume.
One of the first measures to be lifted includes a ban imposed in recent weeks by a decree on outpatients at public and private hospitals.
This is expected to be facilitated by the reopening of some outpatient clinics in public hospitals.
Reopening of coffee shops, restaurants and other mass gathering places such as shopping malls and cinemas, is to be evaluated further down the line, based on epidemiological data.
People are also expected to be allowed to go to the beach sometime in July.
As the Health Minister said measures are to gradually be relaxed, with each stage lasting a fortnight, with authorities reevaluating the effect it has on the spread of the virus and either moving on to the next stage or tracking back to the previous measures.
“The virus is still here and, if no vaccine is found it will continue to be with us and it is very important that we have to proceed with caution in replacing measures, and even more importantly we must not stop from taking self-protection measures,” said Ioannou.
“We will not be returning to normality any time soon. That day is still far”.
