Lockdown will be reintroduced if a relapse in coronavirus cases occurs - TRNC Deputy Prime Minister

The TRNC government is planning on reopening economic sectors phase by phase as of May 4 and to create a closed-circuit system but might reintroduce lockdown if cases increase.

TRNC Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay made the remarks speaking to the Anadolu news agency on Monday.

Explaining that tests for Covid-19 will continue, Özersay said that reintroducing lock-down conditions remained a possibility in the event there was a relapse in the situation and an increase in cases.

Özersay said the Ministry of Economy and Energy, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry for Labour and Social Security on Wednesday will be presenting the cabinet with a roadmap for reopening businesses which have been shut since mid-March.

We are planning to re-open various economic sectors as of May 4 under certain rules and conditions.

Özersay said that they planned to open businesses such as restaurants and barbershops where human contact was unavoidable, last.

The decision as to whether or not to resume classes at schools will be determined within the framework of recommendations to be provided by the health ministry, he added.

Özersay said that the plan was to eventually open all sectors of the economy for business but within a closed-circuit system.

That means we shall be closed to the outside world.

He recalled that only TRNC citizens were currently allowed entry into the country and that entry of other nationals would more likely be left to the final phase.

He also said that the day-time partial curfew could be lifted once the process to restart the economy began but that the night-time curfew could remain in place.