| Response to COVID-19 - 17/05/2021 |
| Government of Cyprus |
| TELECOM/ICT Policy Makers and Regulators | Europe | Cyprus |
| The Covid-19 reality, brought unprecedented challenges and changes to everyday life. Cyprus’ government top priority was the protection and health of its citizens as well as the support of the social and economic fallout of the pandemic. The prompt public health interventions, including non-pharmaceutical measures and active contact tracing, with extensive and targeted testing, proved to be a valuable combination of strategies to effectively control the COVID-19 outbreak. Furthermore, to mitigate thenegative impact of the pandemic on the economy, the government has adopted a support package for employees, the self-employed, vulnerable groups and businesses, which in 2020 amounted to €2.6 bln or 12.5% of GDP. Cyprus’ pioneering mobilization of its volunteer network, under the coordination of the Office of the Commissioner for Volunteerism and NGOs, received EU wide recognition for its prompt andeffective support of vulnerable groups following prescribed security protocols. |