Police on Friday installed roadblocks on several roads leading to Paphos and Limassol following the travel ban to, from and between these districts as part of the latest measures to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Police and the justice minister gave reassurances that the presence of around 40 National Guardsmen is to assist the officers on site and they will be not armed.
This followed criticism by main opposition Akel that using soldiers to man the roadblocks was unnecessary since staff from other state services could be utilised for the job.
“The army is not coming to intimidate but help,” Justice Minister Emily Yiolitis said in a tweet.
In a written statement, Yiolitis also said that the police officers and the National Guardsmen were there to make sure the measures were followed.
On Friday noon, the police and the army set up checkpoints on highways and roads leading to the two districts following the travel ban that will last until the end of the moth.
“They are not enemies, or there to punish anyone,” Yiolitis said, in her statement about the presence of the police officers and soldiers.
She added that everyone’s concern was to return to normality as soon as possible, calling on people to follow the measures.
Image: Christos Theodorides
Image: Christos Theodorides
Image: Christos Theodorides
Image: Christos Theodorides
Image: Christos Theodorides
Image: Christos Theodorides
Image: Christos Theodorides
Image: Christos Theodorides
Image: Christos Theodorides
Image: Christos Theodorides
Image: Christos Theodorides
Image: Christos Theodorides
Image: Christos Theodorides
Image: Christos Theodorides
Plastic barriers were to be placed on the Nicosia to Limassol motorway near Governor’s Beach, at Petra tou Romiou, in the area of Ora, on the road from Palaichori to Agros, in Karvounas, Prodromos, Ayios Nicolaos in Paphos, in Stavros tis Psokas towards Kykkos and on the road from Pomos to Pachyammos.
Police spokesman Christos Andreou told state broadcaster CyBC that the National Guardsmen will assist police and will not be the ones carrying out the checks.
He also said that they will not only be on the checkpoints but will also be used for patrols or wherever else needed. Andreou said the use of soldiers was deemed necessary citing understaffing of the police force.
But Akel leader Andros Kyprianou called on the government to change its decision to use soldiers arguing that “it was other types of regimes that put soldiers out on the streets.”
A government decree specifies and clarifies the circumstances under which certain individuals are exempt from the restrictions and can still travel to, from and between the districts of Limassol and Paphos.
The health ministry on Friday, following numerous requests for special exemptions, clarified that the minister will only approve extremely serious cases and cases of urgent need for the exceptional transfer of employees/persons to any other services/companies or for any other purposes.
The ministry also announced that since workers exempt from the ban on movement to these districts will be obliged from Wednesday afternoon to present a negative coronavirus test certificate the government would subsidise tests for these people.
The tests will be given by mobile units, the health ministry said specifying this concerns only workers, while more information would be announced soon.