Paphos People

Masking indoors will return from July 8 for those aged 12 and above, while Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela said that further details will be announced shortly.

The announcement came following Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, with the minister speaking to reporters afterwards.

“If we wish to protect ourselves and our loves ones, we have no choice but to wear our masks,” Hadjipantela said.

It reiterated that the fine for violating the mask mandate is €300.

He added that the proposal was urgently put to cabinet as reports came in of incidents in which symptomatic persons are circulating in indoor areas without wearing a mask.

The ministry detailed shortly afterwards that exceptions are households, people who are actively eating or drinking, those driving alone or in a vehicle with other members of their household, those who are exercising (sports), cooks (only during the cooking process), and those with health conditions which prevent them from being able to conform with the mandate.

The indoor mask mandate was scrapped a little over a month ago, but the minister on Wednesday cited the increasing number of recorded infections as necessitating its return.

Last Friday, the ministry announced that 10,879 infections were recorded in the past week – along with three deaths attributed to Covid.

As of the latest report, there were 75 patients with the virus in state hospitals, four of whom are in serious condition.

Earlier in the week it had been reported the government’s Covid advisory team was split on the issue of the mask mandate returning.

Elsewhere, some expressed concerns that the policy could put off tourists as most of Cyprus’ competitors in the sector do not have such rules in place.

Masking has proved divisive, particularly more so when mandated.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) found in a 2021 review of the available literature that: “There was evidence of low to moderate certainty for the use of medical face masks providing a small to moderate protective effect against Covid-19 in the community – both in terms of personal protection as well as source control (protection of others).”

On February 7, in an updated technical report, the ECDC stated that the results of studies published after the systematic review are consistent with this conclusion.

It further stated that: “Based on experimental efficiency data and given the lack of high-quality evidence, respirators are in general expected to be more effective than medical masks while community face coverings not manufactured according to the specifications in available guidelines for filtration efficacy and breathability are expected to be less effective than medical face masks.”

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Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

To be fare ...we have never stopped wearing our masks because of health issues
And often I have been the only person in a supermarket with a mask on

It will be interesting to see though how this is going to be sorted out in Supermarkets such as Philipos ...as holiday makers are coming from countries where no masks are worn!
Will Mr Philipos tell them about the new mask mandate? Probably not

I know of many people now who are ill with the covid virus...the new Omicron B5 strain seems to be very catchy

Building up our Immune systems seems to be the best way forwards

It would be in his interest to tell them

A Government spokesman reiterated that the fine for violating the mask mandate is €300.

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Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

If it is only the customers being fined ...don,t think he will tell them