Northern Cyprus suspends charter flights until April 1

By Muhammet Ikbal Arslan

LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (AA) - The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) announced Wednesday that it is suspending all charter flights to the country until April 1.

TRNC Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Ozersay said on Twitter that the country was expanding on a decision by the cabinet to suspend flights from Germany, France and Italy.

On Tuesday, TRNC Health Minister Ali Pilli announced the country’s first case of the novel coronavirus. A 65-year-old tourist from Germany had tested positive for virus, officially known as COVID-19.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus had already announced that schools will be closed until March 15 as a precautionary measure.

The news follows Monday’s announcement that two cases of the virus have been detected in Southern Cyprus, the first to be confirmed on the divided island.

The coronavirus was first detected last December in Wuhan, China but has since spread to more than 105 countries.

The global death toll from the virus is nearly 4,300 with more than 118,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization.