Cyprus will launch its new public early warning system, CY-Alert, on Tuesday, 2 June, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou has said, noting that the system strengthens the state’s emergency preparedness and upgrades civil protection.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Nicodemos Damianou and Acting Civil Defence Commander Theodoros Lemoniatis, Ioannou said CY-Alert will allow the Republic of Cyprus to send real-time warnings to mobile users within its territory, regardless of mobile provider or the country of origin of their SIM card.
Citizens will receive alerts even without internet access or mobile data, accompanied by a distinctive warning sound and strong vibration, even if their phones are on silent mode, he said.
Ioannou also announced that test exercises will be carried out over the next three weeks to confirm the system’s functionality in real conditions. During the tests, citizens may receive trial alerts in Greek and English, clearly marked as tests or exercises. Local authorities in the areas concerned will inform residents in advance.
The Minister said the system will complement existing public information channels, such as radio, television and sirens, in cases where life, safety or public order are at risk.
Damianou said Cyprus now joins the European public warning ecosystem, based on the EU-Alert standard, becoming the 16th country in Europe to implement the system using these technical standards.
He said CY-Alert is based on cell broadcast technology rather than SMS, allowing alerts to be sent directly from mobile antennas to all devices within a selected geographic area without being affected by network congestion.
For information and technical guidance, citizens can call 1450 from Wednesday, 27 May, Damianou added.
(Source: CNA)
