TRNC Supreme Committee on Infectious diseases issues new measures, announces more restrictions until January, 31

The TRNC Supreme Committee on Infectious diseases on Saturday midnight, announced new measures just hours after the government's decision of partial lock-down was announced on Saturday.

In it's decision, the Supreme Committee on Infectious diseases said the new measures were necessary in order to start vaccination applications in the country simultaneously with the whole world, to reduce the number of contamination in the TRNC and to ensure that people who have been vaccinated and have had infections and produce antibodies enter the country without restrictions as of April 1, 2021 adding that former decisions also remain in place until January, 31, 2021.

The committee announced that it decided to tighten the measures due to the increase in cases and transmission among healthcare workers, with the aim of opening the country as of April.

Meanwhile, the government in it's decision on Saturday introduced a partial curfew banning street movement between the hours of 10:00pm to 5:00am beginning from Sunday, January, 17 to Sunday, January, 24. The government fell short of imposing a day time curfew.

But the Supreme Committee on Infectious diseases in its decision later at mid night ordered that public and private businesses with some exceptions be closed until January 31.

This new decision has thrown the entire country into confusion with the Council of Ministers currently in a meeting to thrash out the issue of counter measures. 

Yesterday, we brought you a report that that the government had refused to abide by the Committee's advice to introduce a full lock down for two weeks with only production-based enterprises emergency places allowed to open. 

The Committee also suspended some public services from working from Monday, January, 18, 2021 until January, 31, 2021.

All essential public services such as police, fire brigade, health, civil aviation, electricity authority, municipalities, Ministry of Finance, Customs and Excise will continue to operate during this time. 

Pharmacies, gas stations, bakeries and markets will be allowed to open while restaurants and cafes may operate a take-away service only.

Members of the public who wants to go out for emergency situations will require special permission from the police and municipalities.

Home visits and all forms of gatherings including, entertainment places, cinemas, picnic areas, night clubs, barbershops, coffee houses, gyms, stadiums, wedding halls, bet offices, internet cafes, mass worship, religious services, birthdays, beauty saloon, message parlors, bars, casinos are also banned.

Face-to-face education services of institutions providing higher education is suspended until January 31, 2020.

The decisions taken by our Committee will be re-evaluated on 23 January 2021, considering the pandemic situation in the country.