Border crossings

[quality25]

Any idea when the border front the south will be opening up for holidaymakers

[Keithcaley]

Yes, when they've had no new Covid-19 cases for a while!

[Hair Cut]

Well said Keith ....

[sophie]

Agree with KC, and "for a while" should mean at least two weeks.,

[quality25]

I'm hoping to visit on 4th August. What's the general concensus. Do you think it should be ok by then . Thanks

[Keithcaley]

Do YOU think that South Cyprus will have got their 'new' Covid-10 cases down to zero by then?

Frankly, I don't think that anyone else has any way of knowing, unless they have a crystal ball...

Can you tell us what the situation in the UK will be in August? - down to zero or a second spike? - because if there are still new cases occurring in the UK, then the TRNC authorities would most likely not let you in without 14 days quarantine when you arrive, if at all!

I'm sorry to appear unhelpful, but the questions that you are asking simply cannot be answered in any meaningful way...

[quality25]

Fair enough, I was only asking for an update on the local situation if anybody had heard anything. No need for any more comments. Thanks

[Keithcaley]

[forestpixie]

Apparently there is a meeting today re flights and borders.

[karmels]

Why not fly into the north ?? This route will be open before the border. I agree with Keith we keep the borders closed till the south has been clear for 3 weeks.

[waddo]

karmel, forgive me but I can't understand the logic of keeping the borders closed yet allowing flights into the North? If you were to do one then you may as well do the other as the risk factor has to be the same. I can see the borders being opened anyway, but only for citizens to start with because non citizens, even those who have never left the Island for years, will still have an infectious decease of some sort - lol.

[forestpixie]

https://cypriumnews.com/amp/2020/05/29/ ... -released/

[forestpixie]

New announcements see above link

[karmels]

Waddo. We are free of the virus, the south is still getting new cases everyday.
If we open to the south how many borders crossings are there?? No quarantine going to a casino or brothel but arriving via arcan can be controlled or by the the ports. So get off you high horse and look at the big picture.
And yes my wife and my self are citizen and have been for 20 yrs and we are both English. Stop whining.

[Hedge-fund]

You can't hide away until a vaccine is found.

It's about a balance of risk and the economy.

Hygiene and distancing should keep the volume of cases manageable.

Over 65s and the vulnerable should be protected but the rest of the population have to get on with it.

[sophie]

Having watched Specialists and Consultants in charge of ICU at the London Hospital, all of whom at convinced the lockdown in UK is happening too quickly and are yet again convinced there will be a second spike sooner rather than later, it concerns me that an influx of flights from anywhere, but particularly the UK (the sick man of Europe) concerns me greatly. I have enormous sympathy with those who have lost sales of properties, spending a small fortune on kennelling their dogs etc., out here but I feel it is too many, too soon coming back. And that goes for opening the border as well.

[Dang]

Are your seriously waiting for zero cases or praying for a vaccine?
If as predicted this form of flu could be worldwide for years to come...
We have to live with some levels of risk unfortunately so all I'm interested in is what levels are considered controllable/manageable?
Although North Cyprus have done a great job containing covid 19 are you not worried also that there is virtually zero natural resistance there either?

[kibsolar1999]

dang, sophie,
there is no big difference whether there is zero (in NC) or 7% (eg gueestimated in UK, approx 2-3% eg, in germany...) "natural resistance", or?

NC needs a plan how to handle new cases without a new lockdown!

problem is, tmo, that there is a relatively high resistance against (TRNC gov) orders (see, eg, trafik rules) and neither gov or population do trust each other very much. (see also RoC)
even handshaking is popular again in TRNC.

sophie, dont you have other sources as doctors who work in an ICU? eg, virologists, epidemiologists, this sort? what a doctor in an ICU knows about the spread of a (pandemic) virus? nothing.

it depends to the country... but not everywhere a second (high) spike is expected soon. maybe later in autumn.
but look eg, at Iran. a second, smaller strike happens there at the moment. but this can be also related to other things, eg, more testing.

[sophie]

I am aware of the short comings (if that is what you are suggesting re those at the coal face) however it is these very people who are working themselves mentally and physically to a standstill and were hoping for less and less patients as time goes by. However if there is a second spike then they will have no respite, and by golly they and the nurses in ICU, certainly deserve one.

[johnny1]

Do you guys there in the north really believe that there are no cases there at all?
Average of 40 tests a day...of course you will get zero cases. The South do over 2000 tests each day and they get 1 or 2.
If the south did same as the North then the south would also have ZERO cases.
So who is really doing a better job? flights will start in the North and where will they come from? Turkey? Turkey not doing very well are they.

[erol]

Do you guys there in the north really believe that there are no cases there at all?
Average of 40 tests a day...of course you will get zero cases. The South do over 2000 tests each day and they get 1 or 2.
If the south did same as the North then the south would also have ZERO cases.

As a % of population total tests to date seem about equal north and south to me ?

[Mowgli597]

Do you guys there in the north really believe that there are no cases there at all?
Average of 40 tests a day...of course you will get zero cases. The South do over 2000 tests each day and they get 1 or 2.
If the south did same as the North then the south would also have ZERO cases.
So who is really doing a better job? flights will start in the North and where will they come from? Turkey? Turkey not doing very well are they.

Coronavirus: How Turkey took control of Covid-19 emergency

“Covid-19 came late to Turkey - on 11 March - but soon singed every corner of the country. Within a month all 81 provinces had been affected.

“It was the one of the fastest growing outbreaks in the world - worse than China or the UK. There were fears that the death toll would soar turning Turkey into another Italy, which was then the hardest hit country.
Three months on that hasn't happened, even without a total lockdown.

“The official death toll is 4,397. Some doctors here dispute that, claiming the real figure could be twice as high because Turkey only includes those who test positive. Either way, in the horrific annals of the Covid-19 era, it's a relatively low number for a population of 83 million.”
My emphasis

[Keithcaley]

Re. The low-ish number of tests currently being conducted in TRNC, it doesn't seem probable that these are totally random tests, more likely 'targeted' to suspected cases and contacts.

On the face of it, this should be reassuring.

Bear in mind, however, the issue of 'Silent Spreaders', as discussed in this report, who could account for up to 3% of cases...

The need for masks, social distancing and hygiene remains.

[CPFC]

What are the social implications of NC having zero or limited tourists in 2020 - how many bars/restaurants/ shops etc can survive, what happens to all of those who lose their jobs? What happens to the construction industry? I am not sure what % of GDP that tourism provides to NC but I would imagine that it is fairly significant? Waiting for a vaccine before opening up could be a long wait what happens in the meantime? I appreciate that there a are a lot of questions but I believe there needs to be a balance between health and the wider economy but I don’t believe that banning tourists until there are zero cases is the answer.

[wanderer]

Re. The low-ish number of tests currently being conducted in TRNC, it doesn't seem probable that these are totally random tests, more likely 'targeted' to suspected cases and contacts.

On the face of it, this should be reassuring.

Bear in mind, however, the issue of 'Silent Spreaders', as discussed in this report, who could account for up to 3% of cases...

The need for masks, social distancing and hygiene remains.

Kieth the amount of tests in the North published do they include the restaurant people who have had mandatory tests?

[Keithcaley]

Kieth the amount of tests in the North published do they include the restaurant people who have had mandatory tests?

I haven't seen anything so far which gives that information. Someone else may have!

If I spot anything, I'll post it.

[Deniz1]

Casinos will probably late opening as most of the staff went back to Turkey. They have been told they must pay all the back social sigorta payments owed before they can trade. They dont really benefit the local ecomy most of the money goes back to Turkey

[Keithcaley]

Casinos ....They dont really benefit the local ecomy most of the money goes back to Turkey

I thought that Casinos were one of the biggest taxpayers, so the biggest source of income for the TRNC Government.

Is that correct?

[sophie]

I may be wrong (and frequently am) but was told years back when the first of The Merits was being fitted out that the money goes back to where the Casinos and company are registered i.e. Turkey. Plus most of the furniture for the hotel plus gambling "equipment" is sourced outside of the TRNC so there was no benefit there. Obviously some money goes back to the TRNC, but to whom or where one can only surmise.

[Deniz1]

Not according to a friend who works for the Merit Group Keith.

[Deniz1]

Common practice is to show employees earning the minimum wage so the lowest rate of tax and insurance is paid when in fact the wages are quite a bit higher. Profits go back to the parent company. Produce is bought here obviously everything else is imported.

[Groucho]

The idea that Casinos are somehow beneficial to society because they raise revenue is very odd. They cause social deprivation attract the mob with their dirty money and on the whole are a net drain on society. The longer they remain closed the better (pun intended).

[Butterflyaway]

I was told some time ago that originally the casinos paid a percentage of their profit in tax.

As the casinos vastly underestimated their profits, Government officials were “placed” inside casinos to make a note of everything. Tax revenues increased.

Then the tax revenues went down and the majority of the Government officials were assumed to have had “two jobs!”

Then the Government simply said each slot machine pays “x” and each live table pays “y”. We don’t care if you have customers or not, we don’t care if the machines/tables are even used or not. Problem solved.

[Deniz1]

They must be getting desperate they were offering to install a slot machine in a private home.