Coronavirus: north counts 47 new cases

Turkish Cypriot ‘health minister’ Ali Pilli announced that 47 people tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday, after a total 3,308 tests were carried out in the north.

He said 45 of the cases were the result of local transmissions.

Kyrenia accounted for most of the cases with 29 being identified, followed by Nicosia’s 15 and Morphou’s 2 which raises the total number of cases recorded so far – in the north – to 2,255.

Turkish Cypriot authorities imposed a lockdown in Nicosia and Kyrenia for a week and 14 days respectively in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus in the breakaway north of the island.

Movement was banned in the two areas from midnight Tuesday while a movement ban across the north will be in place between January 29 and February 1.

Schools will remain closed between Wednesday and February 10, with lessons delivered remotely. Kindergartens and special education will be exempted.

Entry and exit into and from Nicosia and Kyrenia are also banned, with some exceptions. All other areas will observe a curfew between 8pm and 5am, starting Wednesday. This will be in place until February 3.