COVID-19: Cyprus starts reopening checkpoints between two sides of island

Cyprus has started reopening the checkpoints between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides as the island nation successfully flattened the coronavirus curve with no new cases reported in the past few days. The crossings were shut after the country started witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases, restricting the movement of people between the divided Mediterranean.

The internationally recognised government which control the southern part of the island reportedly said that permit to cross the checkpoint would be given to only those who will be able to produce negative test results for COVID-19. While Turkish Cypriot authorities have also decided to ease the restrictions, only certain groups of individuals will be allowed to cross, that too with negative COVID-19 test.

Northern Cyprus is a de-facto sovereign state but has only been recognised by Turkey since the international community considers it to be part of the Republic of Cyprus. According to media reports, different rules for two sides could create confusion and chaos at the checkpoints.

Read: Cyprus To Launch SMS Campaign To Stem Migrant Arrivals

WHO warns of dangerous phase

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned of a "new and dangerous phase" of the pandemic. During a media briefing on June 19, the WHO Director-General said that the pandemic still poses a major threat even countries are eager to open up their societies and economies. 

“But the virus is still spreading fast, it’s still deadly & most people are still susceptible," said the top WHO official.

According to the latest report, nearly nine million coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide with more than 467,000 deaths, overwhelming the health care facilities across the globe. The United States, Brazil, and Russia are the worst-hit countries while India reporting a sharp rise in the coronavirus cases.

On June 18, more than 150,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported globally, the highest single-day number so far. Tedros said that nearly half of the newly reported cases were from the Americas, with significant numbers from South Asia and the Middle East. He called on all countries and all people to exercise extreme vigilance and continue maintaining distance from others.

Read: Cyprus Government Pledges To Cover Costs For Virus-hit Tourists In The Nation

(Image: AP)