Comme ci, comme ça

 The news that the Cyprus government is probably going to open the airports on March 1st, and start to relax restrictions at the beginning of February, hardly fills us with joy. The rate of infection is falling, but is this anything to do with the number of tests being taken? Ask any statistician and you won’t be surprised by the answer.

Vaccinations are few and far between on the island, and this can be linked to the EU’s rather slow start to ordering vaccines - especially when the French vaccine (so touted by their Mighty Mouse president) has proved to be not yet effective. He gives a whole new meaning to “Short Man Syndrome”, and come to think of it Boris is not very tall either.

So we do feel upbeat and downcast in equal measure. Hence the “Comme ci, comme ça” of the title. We are safe and as secure as we can be, but there is irritation in not being able to shop for non-essentials, and having to text for permission to leave the house. In the grand scale of things these are inconsequential when people are having to go to food banks and charity shops in order to survive. It reminds me of a comment made a few months ago about “It’s fine for you two with your fat British pensions.” This comment came from a British expat, who has lived illegally here for a number of years “under the radar” not paying into the Social Fund and not declaring his cash income for tax purposes. No doubt he was still using his EHIC for medical treatment. 

Quo Vadis? I have no sympathy for these cheats (and there are plenty of them) in this area, who willingly defraud the Cypriot economy upon which we all depend. When you fall foul of the inevitable restrictions on illegal residents, we’ll all shout out,”What a shame!”