A financial stimulus package to help businesses tackle the impact of the coronavirus, which has already decimated the island’s tourism and travel sector, is to be finalised in the coming days, Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said on Wednesday.

The fast spread of coronavirus worldwide and the first confirmed cases in Cyprus have led consumers to rush to supermarkets all over the island to buy essential supplies, Phileleftheros reports.

A total of 185 samples examined by the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics yesterday have tested negative for the coronavirus, its director Leonidas Phylactou told CybC radio on Wednesday morning as sweeping new measures aimed at containing an outbreak here kicked in.

Of the 5600 applications submitted for Estia scheme, 507 applications were processed until last week, of which 250 are eligible, according to Michalis Kronidis, Director of the Association of Cyprus Banks.

Preventive measures and business continuity plans were activated in Cypriot banks after the detection of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Cyprus, it was reported on Wednesday.

The Cyprus arm of Italian oil giant Eni is offering thee Masters Degrees in Energy and Environmental Management and Economics – MEDEA by the ΕΝΙ Corporate University according to an announcement by the Ministry of Energy circulated on Monday.

Bank of Cyprus is close to selling Project Helix 2 portfolio of non-performing loans worth up to €2.8 billion following contacts between members of the lender and UK-based investment funds.

With the modern world demanding people are able to move around, citizenship by investment allows investors to do the same. A conference in Limassol this week looked at the importance of weighing due diligence against overzealous checks.

Cyprus confirmed its first two cases of coronavirus from 50 samples tested on Monday, Cypriot Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said.

Cyprus had the fifth lowest infant mortality rate in the EU in 2018, according to figures published by Eurostat on Monday.