Additional Precautionary Decisions taken by the Ministry of Health towards the decisions taken by the Infectious Diseases Supreme Committee within the scope of curfew declared by the TRNC Council of Ministers which met on 12.03.2021 by using the authority given to it by Article 2 of the Law on Curfew Chapter 156 and the Law on Infectious Diseases no.45/2018

The following revised decisions have been adopted by the Council of Ministers in line with recommendations of the Higher Committee for Infectious Diseases.

1-      15.03.2021-21.03.2021 A night-time curfew between 9 pm and 5 am has been announced by the Council of Ministers.

2-      From 21 March 2021 05:00 am to 22 March 2021 05:00 am partial curfew will be applied.

3-      Within the framework of the decisions of the Contagious Diseases High Committee, private sector employees who work in order to meet basic needs and employees who will perform essential services 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.

This Ordinance comes into force as of the date it is published in the Official Gazette.

Additional measures

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

–      Markets will be open between 08:00 and 20:00. (Monday- Saturday)

Retail and merchandising services (except supermarkets and workplaces supplying all sectors) will provide services between 10:00 and 20:00. Restaurants will also be open on Saturdays until 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, hookah cafes and halls, internet cafes, all types of games halls, indoor children’s play areas, 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 7 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 inspection instructions are not being implemented will be closed.

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-       Public transport will be allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity. Seats behind drivers will be left empty. Due to the higher infection rate in Girne and Lefkoşa, public transport services will only be allowed to operate within their own districts.

3-       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.

4- 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 22, 2021.

5-  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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. It has been deemed appropriate for the fishermen operating in our country to arrange an hourly pass to deliver their goods to South Cyprus. The people who will sell are required to submit negative PCR test results made in the last 7 days and to report their routes at the border gates each time they cross.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

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

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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 15.03.2021. Providing there is no decision to the contrary, it was decided to open the outdoor seating areas of restaurants on 15.03.2021. 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.)

18. It was deemed appropriate for the people working in order to open the outdoor areas of coffeehouses, cafes, cafeterias and locals to have their PCR tests done by screening by 15.03.2021. Providing there is no decision to the contrary, it has been decided to open these areas on 15.03.2021, provided that the social distance rules are followed. No game will be played (paper, okay, etc.), hookah, if any, will not be used.

19. It has been decided to open special education centres which will be able to continue their activities. People working in special education centres will repeat their PCR tests every seven days.

20. It has been decided to start non-contact, individual training of licensed performance athletes in all sports branches in open areas.

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

22. Only TRNC citizens and those who have permanent residence in the TRNC and have been in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Denmark, Brazil and South Africa within last 14 days will be allowed to enter the country provided that they will be subject to central quarantine for 14 days.

23. The transfers of those who reside in our country and want to go abroad via South Cyprus Larnaca Airport, and also want to come to our country via South Cyprus Larnaca Airport will be carried out by T-permit taxis and touristic minibuses. Drivers who will make the said transfer are required to submit negative PCR test results within the last 3 days. These vehicles must return from the same border gate within a maximum of 3 hours from the border gate they pass through. In these vehicles, by providing all the necessary hygiene conditions, they will be able to transfer with a maximum of 2 passengers in taxis with a “T” license, and a maximum of 4 passengers in vehicles with a touristic minibus license. In transfers from South Cyprus to our country, the negative PCR test results done in the last 3 days will be submitted and the passengers brought with the knowledge of the border police will be transferred to the designated quarantine hotels. 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.

24. It has been deemed appropriate to conduct the international exams to be held in our country under the conditions stated below.

– Persons and supervisors who will take the exam have negative PCR test results from within the last 24 hours,

– Always keeping doors and windows open in order to ventilate the exam area,

– Those people who will enter the exam area to use their personal protective equipment during the exam,

– Arrangement of tables in the exam area to comply with social distance rules

– It was deemed appropriate to permit this provided that a disinfectant is placed at the entrance to the examination area.

25. Studies have been initiated regarding the criteria by which the closed areas in the sectors will be opened. Considering the number of cases this will be evaluated at the next supreme board meeting.

26. Persons who will enter our country for IVF treatment will be quarantined for 10-14 days, determined according to their country. People who are planned to go from quarantine hotels to IVF Centres for treatment will be taken from the quarantine hotel for 3-4 hours with the negative PCR test results performed in the last 24 hours, and then left at the quarantine hotel after the treatment. The responsibility of the person taken from the quarantine hotel will belong entirely to the Managing Director of the IVF Center. The commitment form prepared for each person to be taken from the quarantine hotels and taken to the IVF Centre will be signed by the responsible Manager and these forms will be submitted to the Ministry of Health Coordination Board when applying for a treatment permit.