Dear All,
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak we are writing to inform you of the measures that the Republic of Cyprus has taken and what we in turn will be taking.
The safety and well-being of our employees and our customers is always our priority, and we recognize the important role we play in achieving this. We are actively monitoring the pandemic situation and will continue to do so until some form of normality has returned, we will keep you informed of all new measures taken.
As our employees interact with customers, legal and government departments, we have taken steps to limit exposure to the virus. We have postponed all upcoming meetings to safeguard both our clients and our employees. This will be reviewed again towards the end of April 2020.
As you may be aware Cyprus is now in semi-lockdown as of this morning Monday the 16th of March 2020. Entry to the island will be prohibited to many and various businesses have been asked to stay closed for the next four weeks.
Entry to Cyprus will only be allowed to citizens and legal residents who present a health certificate from an approved accredited organisation and/or a laboratory from their country of origin. The medical certificate must not be older than four days.
This further tightens the regulations over entry which were announced on Friday the 13th of March 2020. Entry is only allowed to:
- Cypriot citizens
- Legal residents in the Republic of Cyprus
- European nationals or third country nationals working the in the Republic of Cyprus
- Nationals of countries located in an assigned service/mission under bilateral or international conventions;
- individual cases of European nationals or third-country nationals for unavoidable professional obligations, provided that such authorisation is obtained by the ministry
- European nationals or third-country nationals attending educational institutions in Cyprus
Everyone allowed entry will be quarantined in special facilities for 14 days.
With regards to the businesses that will close for the next four weeks please find them listed below.
- Malls, department stores
- Cafes, coffee shops, bars and all catering companies. Delivery services are excluded.
- Recreation centers
- Cinemas, theatres, other venues for performances
- Libraries
- Museums, archaeological and historic sites
- Betting shops, casinos etc.
- Sport facilities, sports clubs, cultural clubs and other clubs
- Theme parks, luna parks etc
- Barbers, hairdressers salons, beauty -massage centers
The above companies can carry on administrative or other work behind closed doors, provided they adhere to all rules of hygiene.
Hotels must suspend operations until April 30. They can continue to operate for another six days to cater for existing clients.
Retail trade companies which provide basic services which relate to health and the smooth operation of society remain open:
- Retail food trade eg supermarkets, provided they adhere to the rule of not more than one person at the same time per eight square meters of space
- Pharmacies
- Private health services (labs)
- Open markets
- Bakeries and delicatessens (no tables or seats)
- Petrol stations
- Kiosks
Retail companies which do not belong to the category that must suspend their operation must not have more than five employees in the working area
- For all companies of the private or public sector which cater to the public, the presence of people in the service area cannot exceed one person per eight square meters including employees
- The Transport Ministry will announce arrangements for the public transport sector
Other businesses not cited in the above categories can continue to operate provided they abide strictly with the rules of hygiene and protection of personnel on site.
We hope that all the above information assists you with understanding the severity of the matter and we would like to remind you that we will be here to assist with all your queries regarding your cases via email and or telephone.