Police to restrict access to Troodos square (update 2)

To ease the public’s visits to the mountains and after photos showed hordes of people visiting the snow on Saturday, the police announced on Sunday they will be controlling entrance to Troodos square.

An announcement said this is being carried out under decrees issued by the ministry of heath to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

All roads leading to Troodos will be patrolled and only a small number of cars will be let through, the police said.

Forecasters say the temperature will drop from Thursday with more rain and snow expected then.

On Saturday, as a result of police checks 21 people were charged for breaking coronavirus decrees, in addition to 34 for traffic offences and four for selling stuff from street side stalls.

The police reminded the public that access to Troodos is allowed only for exercise on the nature trails there and not for any other reason.

The depth of snow in Troodos square on Sunday morning was 11cm.

Asked about photos showing crowds in Troodos square on Saturday, Meanwhile, member of the Scientific Committee and Professor of Microbiology/Molecular Virology at the University of Nicosia Medical School Dr Petros Karayiannis told CNA that “they were not pictures that would make us comfortable with relaxations. If we see such incidents as soon as measures are relaxed, we will mess it up again.

“People must understand that things are not that easy because we are in the middle of winter”.