Coronavirus: 472,000 SMS movement requests sent on first day

More than 450,000 text messages were sent for permission for movement on Sunday, the first day of the lockdown.

According to Deputy Minister for Innovation and Digital Policy, Kyriacos Kokkinos, no problems were recorded for the first day the SMS system was reactivated.

Kokkinos told state broadcaster CyBC that around 472,000 requests were sent to 8998 for permission for movement and that 378,000 of them were approved.

Most messages concerned category 2, which concerns permission to go out shopping in supermarkets, kiosks nad bakeries including take away.

Kokkinos said that around 138,000 messages were sent for category 2 while the second most popular category was 6 which concerns physical exercise. Around 123,000 messages were sent to the 8998 for that category.

As of 5am Sunday, in order to move around for purposes other than to go to work, the public have to send a text message and get permission and can do so twice a day.

To a question on whether some have found ways to cheat the system, he said the system can track at the end of each day if more than two permissions were granted to some individuals who may have found ways to secure more.

People who wish to get tested at the rapid test units in their area must send an SMS for category 1.

In response to complaints that people would not ‘waste’ one of their two outings to get tested, the health ministry said that for that reason, the mobile testing units are located outside supermarkets and in industrial areas. That way, people who have already got permission to go shopping can also get tested without having to send an extra message.

As regards people whose physical presence is required in their workplaces, the ministry said it is dispatching units in industrial areas so that people can get tested on their way to work or by dropping by while at work.

People who still go to their workplaces need to have with them a confirmation from their employer.

Kokkinos said that for clarifications about movement, people may call 1474.