Police charged 99 people overnight from Saturday to Sunday for violating decrees to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

A police spokesman told the Cyprus News Agency these were a result of 5,673 checks and referred to 97 people and two businesses.

As part of investigations into a fire on New Year’s Even where around 40 people had gathered and moped were burnt police also arrested two people, an 18-year-old and a 20-year-old in the Famagusta district. The 20-year-old was released as he had already been charged for a related offence

In Nicosia 2,348 checks were carried out and 28 people charged. In Limassol police carried out 546 checks and charged 34 people. In Larnaca 15 people were charged as a result of 1,253 checks. In Paphos 795 checks were carried out, resulting in one business and 11 people being charged.

In Famagusta 366 checks resulted in two people being charged while in Morphou 317 checks were carried out and seven people charged.