Fifteen enclaved Greek Cypriots in the Turkish-occupied Rizokarpaso, who were tested positive for COVID-19, are in good health, said Presidential Commissioner Fotis Fotiou, speaking after the session of the Parliamentary Committee on Refugees.

Fotiou said that three of the fifteen Greek Cypriots had chosen to self-isolate in the occupied areas, while the other twelve are in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus and their condition is being monitored, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. He added that so far everything was going well and that all of them are in good health.

Among the fifteen people who tested positive are three teachers and a woman who works in the Greek speaking primary school in Rizokarpaso. As Fotiou said, both the primary and the high-school of Rizokarpaso remained close for two weeks, while the High School is expected to reopen on Monday.

Fotiou also said that the day after the election of Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, new “regulations” were announced for crossing-points, requiring a COVID-19 test every 72 hours, despite agreeing previously on a list of people that would needed only one test.

“They immediately changed the ‘regulations’, citing epidemiological reasons. In a week they made the ‘regulations’ stricter and they asked for a negative test every 24 hours. Two days ago, they issued new ‘regulations’ which again create problems with the crossings of our teachers, but especially for our enclaved and resettled people”, said Fotiou.

The Presidential Commissioner also said that the regime in the occupied areas didn’t allow the instruction of 48 books, 23 for the elementary school and 25 for the High School, not only concerning religious studies, Greek language or history but also some books for biology or geography.

Fotiou also told the Parliamentary Committee that the regime in the occupied areas didn’t allow to hold a mass on the historic monastery of Apostolos Andreas in Karpasia, which is allowed once a year on the feast day of the Saint, not even in the limited presence of the Bishop of Karpasia, a priest and two cantors.