Brits will be permitted to return to Cyprus for holidays from July 15, according to the country’s Deputy Tourism Minister.
UK residents had previously been barred from entering the Eastern Mediterranean island due to the high volume of coronavirus cases here at home.
Cyprus has told Brits to steer clear since declaring a state of emergency on March 15. But according to the tourism sector’s second-in-command, Savvas Perdios, that could be all about to change.
The minister has also suggested that when holidays do resume, they could prove to be cheaper than expected.
Speaking to the Sun Online, Perdios commented: “The UK is our biggest market, it’s massively important to us, and the situation there is improving all the time.
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“In a few weeks from now, by mid-July, flights will be possible from the UK to Cyprus … 15th July sounds very reasonable.”
The tourist chief also spoke of a “price war” set to emerge between competitors.
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“There are going to be very good deals for Brits this summer I am certain of that, not just in Cyprus but the Mediterranean in general,” Perdios explained.
“We’ve been in contact with tour operators for the last two months at least, talking to TUI, Jet2, etc.”
According to the Cyprus Mail, Brits account for more than one-third of total visitors to the island each year.
However, the UK had occupied a low place on the pecking order with regards to which residents were eligible to re-enter Cyprus in summer.
Norway, Denmark, Germany, Malta, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Austria citizens were all given the thumbs-up to visit the Mediterranean from 9 June, whilst Switzerland, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Estonia and Croatia residents have been admitted since June 20.
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Police appeal to find next of kin after man found outside Palace Theatre
Daisy Jackson
Police are trying to track down the family of a man who died after being found unresponsive outside the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
The man, who has now been named as Jonathan Bernard Carroll, was seen outside the city centre theatre at around 6.30am on Tuesday 12 November.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and Mr Carroll was taken to hospital.
Tragically, the 47-year-old passed away a short time later.
A large cordon was in place on Whitworth Street and Oxford Road while police and security attended the incident.
Greater Manchester Police are now appealing to find his next of kin.
It’s believed that he resided in the Salford area of Greater Manchester.
Anyone with any information should contact the Coroner’s Office on 0161 856 1376.
Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.
As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.
Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.
The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.
Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.
Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.
The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.
Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.