NICOSIA, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Cypriot Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou announced Wednesday government strategy for ending the coronavirus lockdown imposed more than two weeks ago, starting with easing restrictions on Monday.

Ioannou told a televised press conference that starting Monday, Feb. 1, barber shops and hair and beauty salons will reopen, but shopping malls, department stores and retail shops will remain closed for one more week before resuming operation on Feb. 8.

However, a ban on the movement of general public will remain in force until further notice, with people allowed to go out twice a day, after sending an SMS and receiving a permit from authorities.

The minister also said that the number of people visiting friends or relatives will still be restricted to two, but will increase to four as of Feb. 8.

Ioannou also announced that as of Monday the number of people working in construction and other businesses will be increased from 25 percent to 50 percent of staff.

As of Feb. 8,public and private schools will reopen and people can attend church services in limited numbers.

The Minister did not announce any decisions on restaurants and other hospitality premises, which have been closed or restricted to delivery services for many months.

He said that the epidemiological situation has improved over the past few days, but hospitals have to care for a large number of people, who were infected during the peak of the pandemic before the lockdown was imposed.

"These decisions are not only taking into consideration the reduction in cases but also other epidemiological indexes like the situation in hospitals, which remains quite difficult," Ioannou said.

He also said that an increased rate of coronavirus testing will be an integral part of the strategy, along with a speeding up of vaccination among health workers and the elderly.

Ioannou added that workers have to take a rapid detection test for the coronavirus before resuming work on the premises which will be reopening.

The minister added that the authorities will go ahead with the vaccination program.

As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in some countries with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.

Meanwhile, 236 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 63 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the United States, according to information released by the World Health Organization on Jan. 26. Enditem

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