TRNC announces 14 days partial curfew, visits, picnics banned

A 14-day partial curfew has been announced by TRNC authorities with effect from Sunday midnight.

The Council of Ministers announced a partial curfew that will come into force as of Sunday midnight. With the new curfew taking into effect, services such as market, pharmacy, gas station, hospital and bank will continue.

By virtue of the authority granted to it by Article 2 of the Curfew Law (chapter 156) the Council of Ministers of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, with a view to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19), declares the enforcement of a partial curfew period of 14 days commencing at midnight on the 23^rd of March 2020 with the exceptions mentioned below:

1. Within the framework of the decision taken by the Council of Ministers on measures regarding the Coronavirus all individuals, with the exception of private sector personnel who are permitted to work towards addressing basic needs as well as public sector personnel who provide crucial services (police, fire department, municipalities, civil defence, district offices ect) will be subjected to the partial curfew.
2. All individuals who do not fall under the category of exempt persons mentioned in paragraph 1, may only leave their residences to seek goods and services provided by those private and public personnel who-are permitted to work as stated in paragraph 1, and must return to their residence as soon as their needs have been met. They shall not leave their premises for any other purpose.
3. In line with the legislation in force, criminal prosecution will be carried out against those who violate the partial curfew.

A statement by the TRNC Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Kudret Ozersay reads;

As of midnight tonight, the partial curfew will take effect but services such as market, pharmacy, hospital, gas station and bank will continue. In this framework, some private and public institutions will be able to continue their work as we taken until today. Home visiting, sight seeing, picnics, training and more will be banned. The police will be able to initiate investigation and arrest anyone found wanting.

***Residents will be able to go out to the streets to purchase goods and services from public and private institutions and return to their place of residence after meeting their needs. Except for these purposes, residents will not be able to go out on the street.

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