Still feeling the effects
LIFE is returning to normal, but Covid
19 is still the hot topic. Ministers have announced plans for TRNC citizens to return to the North, followed by expats who are home owners and residence permit holders.
Many expats have been waiting for this news, but they have a bitter pill to swallow as they will be required to spend 14 days in a quarantine which will be at their own cost.
Many have called the TRNC their homes for years and have contributed to the system. At such high costs for the quarantine placement, some will no doubt be feeling let down that they still will not be able to return to their homes, families and friends. An English expat who has lived in North Cyprus for 15 years has been stuck in the UK since March after flying back to look after her elderly mother:
“I have been able to keep in touch with friends and family by message and phone. Cyprus friends have been keeping me up to date on what is going on at home, keeping an eye on my house and other stuff. People keep asking “if I am OK” and meaning it, which is lovely. Amazon has been a bit of a lifeline! Now my problem is going home. What do I do? Is it safe? I cannot come back til July as like many people I let my residency run out last year and never got it sorted. What happens if the virus spreads again and there is another lockdown, what will happen if I need to get back to the UK? Not going to worry, it will sort itself out sometime. I just hope it is soon!”
If no new cases come to the island in June, ministers will consider opening up to tourists in July. Unfortunately, the damage may already have been done to the 2020 summer season. The tourism sector which contributes a large proportion to the country’s economy has taken a huge hit, with many people losing jobs and businesses closing. Now people are left wondering how our small slice of heaven can recover, and if it ever will?
Businesses were forced to close on the 15th March including beauty salons, hairdressers, pool cleaners, gardeners, estate agents and restaurants, leaving vast amounts of people with no job or income, and no clue as to if they would ever get back to work again. Many sought help from the government, a paltry 1,500TL monthly allowance was proposed to employees who could not work during the lockdown. Initially third country nationals were excluded from the pay out, with many yet to receive one lira in aid from the government. This has left some employees and business owners feeling let down and neglected, making an already difficult time even harder.
A well known and respected business owner expressed his opinion:
“As a director of a company that contributes greatly to the tourism sector, I feel I have been let down by the government and ignored. My company has contributed to the local economy for over eight years. It would have been nice to have some recognition via financial aid or support during this turbulent time. However, let us hope the government puts this right by investing and supporting the tourism sector and works hard to salvage what is left of this year’s season. They need to build upon this to ensure that 2021 is the best year yet!”
Normally businesses from different sectors would be feeling the buzz of the start of the summer season, which unfortunately has yet to arrive! The financial implications will now be devastating to not just themselves, their families but could have a lasting effect to the TRNC.
Local businesses cannot just survive on the number of people living permanently on the Island. They need tourists and they need the ‘swallows ’who also contribute greatly to the island’s economy.
The real and difficult issue now is how we can keep our piece of heaven free from Covid 19, but also help to rebuild and recover the economy. As many European countries are also lifting lockdowns and opening borders, it would appear that governments are now facing a different type of crisis; the challenging balance between local economics versus people’s health.