Stricter measures to contain the spread of coronavirus were announced by the Health Minister on Monday as the island scrambles to curb the steadily rising deaths and infections.

The health ministry on Monday announced one more death and 16 new cases of Covid-19 bringing the total confirmed cases to 230, five of which are in the British bases.

Salary deductions to support phase 2 of Gesy will be reduced from April until the end of June as part of the emergency package to deal with the coronavirus, Finance Minister Constatinos Petrides said on Monday.

The government has called for the fast-track processing of citizenship by investment applications so as to give the Cyprus economy a boost, Phileleftheros reports.

Economic sentiment in Cyprus deteriorated markedly in March 2020, as the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI-CypERC) decreased by 12.1 points compared with February 2020, reflecting the initial impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Cypriot economy.

Parliament on Friday approved a raft of bills aimed at shoring up the economy to withstand the fallout from the coronavirus crisis.

The bill allowing for suspension of loan repayments and interest for natural persons and businesses was passed by parliament on Sunday.

The export of all medicines from Cyprus to any other country has been banned with immediate effect, it was announced on Friday.

The health ministry on Sunday announced one new death and 35 new cases of Covid-19 bringing the death toll to six and the total confirmed cases to 214, five of which are in the British bases.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic outbreak is unavoidable, Deputy Minister of Shipping Natasa Pilides said on Thursday, expressing hope that industry will bounce back as it will continue to serve global trade.