Cyprus Mail 14 September 2020 - by Nick Theodoulou
Cypriots endured one of the strictest lockdowns worldwide, requiring permission to leave the house along with a curfew but some are nostalgic for some aspects of the period between March and May.
The main positives Cypriots cite from the lockdown were the lack of noise at night, reduced traffic jams and not wasting as much money.
In a poll commissioned by daily Politis conducted between September 4 and 7, 48 per cent said they missed the period when they were spending less, or when “less money [was] wasted”. This was an increase of 1 per cent over an earlier poll that saw the same question asked on May 26.
Just over half, or 51 per cent, of those polled said they miss the reduced traffic on the roads. This figure was down 10 per cent from May 26, when 61 per cent said they missed the decongested roads.
One of the most notable shifts in attitudes was in regards to spending time with their family, as 40 per cent said they now miss that aspect of the lockdown. Back in May, only 26 per cent cited this as a concern.
A longer-lasting impact of the pandemic are the public’s priorities, with an average 59 per cent of respondents saying their priorities in life have shifted. This was most notable in those aged 55 and over, with 67 per cent citing such a shift in mentality.
Other factors remained more constant, with 78 per cent saying the pandemic had not impacted their religious beliefs, again most notable in the 55 and above category, with 82 per cent remaining faithful.
Most of the world wearily emerged from lockdowns back in May-June, but as cases rise in many regions Israel has become the first country to impose a second national lockdown.
As for Cyprus, there was a spike in cases back in late July-early August but the situation has since stabilised and returned to low single figures.
In the north of the island, however, authorities have clamped down in an effort to contain a spiralling number of coronavirus cases.