A SafePass will no longer be required for outdoor activities, Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou announced on Friday as part of further relaxations of measures.
Further relaxations were announced on Friday after the cabinet’s meeting. The relaxations will be in force as of Monday, May 17.
The minister, citing the improved epidemiological picture and the increased number of people vaccinated against Covid-19 in Cyprus, also announced the extension of the curfew to 12pm from 11pm.
The SafePass, enforced this week, will no longer be required to visit outdoor seating areas of cafés, restaurants and bars as well as outdoor theatres and cinemas. Hospitality sector owners had slammed the government for the measure, arguing the restriction discourages people from visiting their establishments.
However, the pass will remain as a requirement to visit the indoor venues, gyms, theatres, shopping malls and places of worship among other crowded places, Ioannou said.
On June 10, nightclubs will reopen with a strict health protocol to be announced at a later stage.
Further relaxations concerning the sports sector are also expected to be announced by the Cyprus sports organisation later in the day.
“The implementation of the lockdown in the previous two weeks brought the desired results,” Ioannou said.
The nationwide lockdown was lifted on May 10, with the number of cases, the percentage of positivity and the number of admissions to hospitals showing a significant decrease, the minister added.
Cyprus’ daily tally of Covid-19 cases hit a negative record of 941 on April 20, while they are now in the 200s. Hospitals nationwide, previously nearing full capacity have also reported fewer number of patients.
