Coronavirus: Minor tweaks to Easter lockdown

Three new amendments to lockdown rules with regards to Easter were announced on Monday by the Health Ministry.

Easter Sunday restrictions have been tweaked to allow members of more than two families to gather while keeping the person limit to 10.

In addition, overnight stays at holiday homes or second homes, both within the same district and in different districts, will be allowed throughout lockdown and not just between April 29 and May 3, as originally announced.

Lastly, worshippers will not need to send a text message to move to and from church to attend a church service during the Holy Week (between April 26 and May 2).

The lockdown, which is set to last from April 26 to May 9, was introduced in a bid to stem the spread of the virus and reduce the number of hospitalisations.

“We cannot remain indifferent to the rising number of infections together with the intense pressure on the health system because of the large number of hospitalisations,” Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said when announcing the lockdown on Friday.

The return to the lockdown followed a new record high in infections last week, which health authorities expect would also translate into more hospitalisations, threatening to overrun the health system.

The tougher measures will be eased on May 10, but to visit crowded venues, members of the public will need to provide a negative Covid test, or a vaccination certificate dating back to at least three weeks or be able to prove they have had the virus in the past three months. Venues will include catering, places where people gather, gyms, retail outlets, theatres.