Additional precautionary decisions taken by the Ministry of Health and decision of the partial curfew taken by the TRNC Council of Ministers on 5 March, 2021 are declared

The Council of Ministers of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus met on 5 March, 2021 and declared a partial curfew from 8.3.2021 at 5:00am to 15.3.2021 at 5:00am by using the authority given to it by Chapter 156, Article 2 of the Law on Curfew in order to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19)

The Partial Curfew will be implemented within the framework of the following exceptions and additional precautionary decisions taken by the Infectious Diseases Supreme Committee regarding Coronavirus (Covid-19) on 4 March, 2021 and decided to be implemented by the Ministry of Health:

1. Partial curfew between 9pm and 5am will be in place between 08.03.2021 to 13.03.2021.
2. Partial curfew will be imposed from 5.00am on 13.03.2021 until 5.00am on 15.03.2021.

3.Within the framework of the Infectious Diseases Supreme Committee, Private sector employees who work in order to meet basic needs and employees who will perform essential services in for the public (police, fire brigade, municipality, civil defence, healthcare workers, etc.) are exempt from partial curfews, and partial curfew is imposed for other than these persons.

Criminal proceedings will be made against those who do not comply with this partial curfew within the framework of the legislation in force.

Additional Precautionary Decisions taken by the Ministry of Health are as follows;

Based on the previous gradual opening decisions, a reassessment was made by our Committee, and the following decisions were taken and the decisions taken were revised.

Based on the previous gradual opening decisions, the previous decisions have been re-evaluated and the following decisions have been made and the decisions taken revised:

– All businesses and activities will be closed on Saturdays, except for markets, bakeries, butchers, greengrocers, petrol stations, pharmacies, agriculture, livestock and related industrial enterprises.

– All businesses and activities will be closed on Sundays, except for pharmacies, bakeries and petrol stations.

– As for Monday-Friday;

Markets will be open between 08:00 and 20:00. (Including Saturdays) Retail and merchandising services (except supermarkets and workplaces supplying all sectors) will provide services between 10:00 and 20:00.

Supply chain order taking, including shelf arrangement and display is carried out.

Orders, hot sales and distribution will be made between the hours of 08:00 and 20:00.

Shelf arrangement and arrangement work will be done after 20:00.

Establishments that will remain closed;

– Theatres and cinemas, performance centres, concert halls, engagement-wedding halls, birthdays, mass prayers for the deceased (mevlits), casinos, bars, taverns, taverns, coffeehouses, cafes, cafeterias, hookah cafes and halls, internet cafes, all types of games halls, indoor children’s play areas, clubhouses, swimming pools, massage parlours, spas, indoor sports halls, restaurants serving open buffets, betting shops, night clubs, clubs, Turkish baths, saunas.

Establishments that will remain open;

– All businesses and activities that are not explicitly stated as being closed can be open within the framework of the specified rules.

However items cannot be tried on in the clothing sector.

Arrangements must be made so that the number of customers and staff is a maximum of 1 person per 5m2. In order to protect social distancing, these businesses should place signs at the entrances of their businesses stating the m2 area and the total number of people, including employees, who can be in the business at any one time, which will allow for more active inspections. In addition to this, businesses providing a service will work on a rotational basis or with reduced staff. Those working in the sectors that are open will have PCR tests every 15 days.

Sectors that are open will be inspected by the associations that they are affiliated with and the District Police Boards. Sectors where it is determined that inspections are not being carried out will be closed.

Businesses will sign a form of undertaking and legal proceedings will be launched against the relevant institutions if the specified rules are not followed.

It will be appropriate for people to meet their essential needs from the businesses closest to their places of residence.

Institutions that will remain open;

– The Ministry of Health and health personnel, the Ministry of Finance, police, fire brigade, municipalities, civil defence, district police boards, Customs, the Central Prison, BRTK, TAK, TÜK, KIBTEK, the Dairy Institution, press workers and/or yellow press card holders, and public universities’ essential departments will be able to work at full capacity.

All institutions and organisations operating in our country and for which no closure decision has been made will continue their duties as determined by the most senior supervisors.

– Air and Sea Ports will operate with the minimum personnel to ensure that all services are uninterrupted.

1. As the prevalence of infection is lower in the Lefke-Güzelyurt-İskele-Gazimağusa districts and in order to prevent the spread of infection to these districts, it has been deemed appropriate that travel from Lefkoşa and Girne districts to the aforementioned districts is controlled by the District Police Boards.

2. In all establishments and workplaces that are open, it is compulsory to measure temperatures at the entrances, to comply with the social distancing rule, to lay markings on the floor in order protect social distance based on square meters, and to implement hygiene and disinfection conditions both inside the workplace and at the entrances and exits. It is the employer’s responsibility to take and implement these precautions.

3. It has been deemed appropriate that all pre-school, primary and secondary education (including after-school lessons and centres, private lessons and course activities) will continue online in public and private schools until March 15, 2021. However, kindergartens may stay open based on demand so that service in the sectors that will remain open is not disrupted.

4. It has been deemed appropriate that people residing in North Cyprus going to South Cyprus for treatment purposes can cross to South Cyprus without quarantine if they present documents of their appointments at the border gates. The patient and their companion (if necessary) who will be crossing for health purposes are required to submit negative PCR test results from within the last 3 days upon arrival. In addition, patients and companions returning to our country after the treatment should repeat PCR tests on the seventh and fourteenth days of returning to the country and submit the results to our Ministry.

5. It has been deemed appropriate that people residing in South Cyprus and going to North Cyprus for treatment purposes can enter our country without quarantine, provided that they submit negative PCR test results from within the last 72 hours and present documents of their appointment at the border gates.

6. Within the scope of the Green Line Regulation, it has been deemed appropriate for people who do contactless trade to trade without quarantine, provided that they obtain permission from the district police boards. Other than this, it has been decided to review shipment operations at a later date.

7. It has been deemed appropriate that ambulances can transit through the Yeşilırmak Border Gate without quarantine for health purposes only, and that other crossings are subject to quarantine.

8. People living or working in Pile will be able to cross daily without quarantine, provided that they submit negative PCR test results from within the last seven days. In addition, in order to meet the needs of people residing in Pile, it has been deemed appropriate that if the businesses operating in our country request their workers to cross into Pile, employees can make daily crossings if they submit negative PCR test results from within the last 24 hours.

9. UN, EU, British Bases Areas, Buffer Zone, Missing Persons and Peacekeeping workers will be able to enter without quarantine, provided that they submit negative PCR test results from within the last 7 days.

10. It was decided that funerals can be held with the participation of only first-degree relatives.

11. Those who reside in the North and work in South Cyprus, or who live in South Cyprus and work in the North, will be able to make daily crossings without quarantine, provided that they submit negative PCR test results from within the last 7 days.

12. Barbers, hairdressers, beauty salons and tattoo studios/salons will continue their work between the hours of 08:00 and 19:00. People working in these sectors will repeat their PCR tests every seven days. In addition, the prepared undertaking forms will be signed and businesses that are found to have not adhered to the specified rules will be closed.

13. Considering the quarantine capacity, the Ministry of Finance will accept passengers to our country provided that they remain in quarantine with a maximum of 3 flights per day and a maximum of 200 people on each flight; for sea travel, it has been deemed necessary to accept a maximum of 2 ships per day with a maximum of 75 people (excluding soldiers) at a time.

14. It has been deemed appropriate for people residing in Beyarmudu to cross daily without quarantine in order to perform their livestock and agriculture activities in the Buffer Zone and the Bases Region.

15. In addition to the takeaway services of restaurants, it has been deemed appropriate that, in order to open the outdoor seating areas of restaurants, people who work in the restaurants should be screened and have PCR tests done by 10.03.2021. Providing there is no decision to the contrary, it was decided to open the outdoor seating areas of restaurants on 10.03.2021. In addition, a letter of undertaking will be signed with these sectors and restaurants can be closed if it is determined that the specified rules have not been adhered to. (The tables to be set up outdoors should be arranged 2 metres apart and with 60cm between chairs at the same table.)

16. It has been decided to open special education centres as of 8 March 2021. People working in special education centres will repeat their PCR tests every seven days.

17. It has been decided that non-contact, individual and outdoor sports activities can start.

18. Taxi drivers will be able to cross hourly to South Cyprus to transfer people who reside in our country and who want to go abroad via South Cyprus, provided that they submit negative PCR test results from within the last 72 hours. However, these crossings will be made only for the purpose of going to Larnaca Airport. Taxis with a “T” permit that will go to Larnaca Airport will be able to cross with 1 passenger to ensure all the necessary hygiene conditions, and vehicles with commercial “T” permits for less than 9 people will be able to cross with 2 passengers to ensure all hygiene conditions. These vehicles must return from the same border gate within a maximum of 3 hours after the time of crossing. In addition, taxi drivers will be made to sign a letter of undertaking issued for crossing at the border gates and if it is determined that the specified rules have not been adhered to, the taxi driver will not be given permission to cross again.

19. People with permanent/short-term residency permits will be subject to the quarantine conditions of their country of origin and will remain in central quarantine for 10 or 14 days.