North reinstates limited mask mandate

The north’s Communicable Diseases Committee on Wednesday reinstated the mandatory wearing of face masks in some locations.

People visiting care homes, hospitals and prisons, as well as care home workers and people who care for patients over the age of 65 are now required to wear face masks while doing so.

Additionally, people exhibiting symptoms are now required to wear masks and those considered as being in at-risk groups will be required to take a Covid-19 test should they have symptoms

At-risk groups are listed as people over the age of 65, people with underlying lung, kidney, or neurological diseases, people taking immunosuppressant drugs, people with diabetes, people with HIV, and children under the age of five.

The committee also stipulated that closed areas, including restaurants, classrooms and gyms, be frequently ventilated.

The north has not publicly released Covid-19 statistics since April last year, but the north’s ‘health minister’ Hakan Dincyurek told the Cyprus Mail that a total of 80 positive cases had been recorded in the seven days leading up to January 16.