The number of the sms movement requests sent on Monday to 8998 in Cyprus were significantly lower than the requests sent on Sunday.

According to data from the Deputy Ministry of Research and Innovation, on Monday citizens sent 334,449 requests, of which 320,864 were valid and 317,092 were approved, while on Sunday they sent 449,129 sms and 423,868 were approved.

In particular, the main reason for which citizens requested permission to go out, amid a lockdown aiming to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in place since January 10, was shopping or getting supplies of essential goods and services (category 2).

The sms requests approved for going to a pharmacy, visiting a physician or for blood donation or laboratory testing for Covid-19 or for vaccination at the vaccination centres were 31,173 (category 1)

The requests approved for going to a shop for essential goods/services, including take away were 127,131 (choice 2) and for going to the bank for transactions not available online (category 3) 5,351.

For strictly necessary visits to public services or services of the wider public sector and local authorities 4,618 sms requests were approved (choice 4), for helping people who cannot take care of themselves or people who must protect themselves or who are in self-isolation and/or in places of compulsory isolation (quarantine) (choice 5) 19,996 sms were approved.

Requests for physical exercise (category 6) were 61,772, while for going to ceremonies (funerals, marriages or christenings) (choice 7) 1,143 requests were approved.

For any other reason that may be justified under the lockdown measures (by presenting the necessary proof for each case) a total of 65,908 sms were approved.