Six countries, including France and the US, have been downgraded to the high-risk red category after Cyprus reviewed its Covid-19 safe travel list.

Online appointments for the vaccination of  12-15 year-olds against Covid-19 began on Monday, with over 60% of those booking a jab through the portal was for children.

Net new loans for house buying rose to €114 million in June, reaching a new all-time monthly record since December 2014, when the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) began recording data.

Hellenic Bank, RCB Bank and the Bank of Cyprus emerged with good performance on the European Central Bank’s 2021 stress tests, according to the statistics released by the central bank on Friday.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has published the results of the 2021 stress tests, which show that the euro area banking system is resilient to adverse economic developments.

The ministry of finance has released the provisional results of its Estia housing loan subsidy scheme.

Paphos-born professor Kypros Nicolaides who is worldwide renowned as ‘Father of Fetal Medicine’ will be awarded at noon on Friday the Grand Cross of Makarios III – Cyprus’ highest civilian honour.

The Covid-19 portal opened on Monday at 7.30am for appointments to vaccinate children aged over 12 following cabinet’s decision to expand the holiday island’s inoculation programme to curb the virus spread.

The Cabinet announced on Friday that new pandemic rules will apply in August, including a greater number of shops out of reach for people without a Safe Pass and follow up rapid or PCR tests checks for foreign visitors who are not vaccinated.

Tourist arrivals in August are expected to be around the same as those for July and only slightly better than those for June, Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios has said.