Flight ban extended until mid-May

Cyprus has extended a ban on all commercial flights until 17 May after first introduced on 21 March to curb the spread of coronavirus, the Cypriot Transport Minister said Friday.

The authorities have decided to extend the ban for a third consecutive time that was to end on April 30.

“We have decided to extend the decree on a total ban on flights at Larnaca and Paphos airports until Sunday 17 May,” tweeted Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos on Friday.

The additional 17 days extends the noflight ban to Cyprus until mid-May, following an extension on 18 April until 30 April.

The Transport Ministry said it as an extension of the decree which imposed a flight ban to Cyprus airports is applicable to all countries.

The decree on exceptions to the ban is cargo and humanitarian flights plus repatriation of foreign nationals stranded on Cyprus or Cypriots abroad being flown back in by the government.

Anybody repatriated to Cyprus is quarantined for 14 days at a facility designated by the authorities.

As of Friday evening, Cyprus has recorded 804 coronavirus cases and 14 COVID-19 related deaths

The island has imposed tough restrictions on free movement, including a night curfew and allowing people to leave their homes only once a day with permission.

Authorities are assessing whether a gradual easing of the lockdown can commence in early May as new coronavirus cases are in single figures with a low transmission rate.