NICOSIA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus authorities are bracing for the partial easing of COVID-19 restrictions and the reopening of 25,000 retail shops on Monday, with extraordinary security measures to ensure that the public remain disciplined, Minister of Justice and Public Order George Savvides said on Saturday.
Thousands of policemen will be out to make sure that shops apply instructions to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the minister told Cyprus News Agency.
Shop assistants are required to wear a mask all the time and shop owners were instructed to provide disinfectants and mark their space so that customers keep a safety distance of several meters between one another.
"The police chief has already given revised surveillance orders and there will be an indisputable emphasis on the proper observance of all regulations issued by the relevant ministries," Savvides said, adding that the police force will be reinforced with hundreds of people who have been drafted from other public service departments and local authorities.
He said they were authorized to hand out on-the-spot fines or to book those caught violating regulations.
"I fully understand and respect people's desire for life to return to normalcy," said Savvides, calling on people to show restraint to "avoid any setback".
Interior Minister Nikos Nouris was more specific of the consequences of undisciplined behavior that could lead to an increase in coronavirus infections.
"If there is no discipline, we will revert to taking measures which could be stricter," he told state radio, urging people to keep social distance and other guidelines posted on his ministry's website.
Virology professor Petros Karayiannis, a member of the scientific team advising the government, told Cyprus News Agency that should coronavirus cases rise from the present level of six or seven a day to 20 or 30 for three or four consecutive days, a total lockdown would be reinstated.
President Nicos Anastasiades has said that under a plan approved by the Council of Ministers, the partial easing of restrictions and the opening of retail shops and construction sites will be followed by a total lifting of all bans on movement on May 21, and later by a restart of athletic training, including football, and the reopening of hotels, restaurants and airports early in July.
COVID-19 cases in Cyprus have stayed at single digit numbers for the most of the past 15 days.
New confirmed cases announced by the Health Ministry on Saturday were seven, the same number for the past three days, which raised total infections to 864. COVID-19 deaths stand at 15. Enditem
