COVID-19 cases in Τurkish occupied Rizokarpaso primary school, Commissioner tells CNA
Two cases of COVID-19 were detected in the primary school of Rizokarpaso, one is a teacher and the other is a cleaner who live in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus. After that the primary school which operates for children of the enclaved in the occupied areas of Cyprus closed as a matter of precaution for a week, starting from last Friday.
As Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Issues and Overseas Cypriots, Fotis Fotiou, told CNA, both the primary school and the adjacent kindergarten were disinfected. Rizokarpaso High School was also disinfected although no coronavirus cases have been detected in its premises.
All Greek schools in Rizokarpaso remained closed last Friday and Fotiou said they will decide soon if the High School will also close for next week.
At the same time, Fotiou said that tests were performed on almost all enclaved and resettled people in Rizokarpaso and another five cases were identified, including a primary school student. Most were contacts of the first two cases.
Most of the people who tested positive for COVID-19 in Rizokarpaso, he said, came to the free areas to self-isolate.
According to Fotiou, his office is in consultation with the Ministry of Health both in relation to the schools and to the infected people who came to the free areas.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.
Turkey occupied 36,2 percent of the sovereign territory of the Republic and forcibly expelled about 180.000 Greek Cypriots from their homes. Another 20.000 Greek Cypriots, who had remained in the occupied areas, were also forced to eventually abandon their homes and seek refuge in the safety of the government-controlled areas. Today, few enclaved Greek Cypriots remain in the occupied areas.
Turkey still deprives the displaced Greek Cypriots of their right to return to their homes and properties. This has given rise to appeals to the European Court of Human Rights, which has issued major decisions on Turkey’s violations of the European Convention.
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