NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus will scrap an overnight curfew and allow all government workers to return to their offices on June 10 following a steady decrease in the number of COVID-19 infections over the last few weeks.

Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said Thursday that authorities are pleased with the infection rate’s downward trend but cautioned against people letting their guard down by not sticking to social distancing and mask-wearing.

He said as of June 1st, all restrictions on indoor seating in bars and restaurants will be lifted, while indoor spaces where people gather in large numbers, including places of worship, theaters, cinemas and casinos, will be permitted to operate at 50% capacity.

He repeated that nightclubs will re-open on June 10 after a pandemic-induced hiatus of more than a year – a key step forward for the tourism-reliant country.

The health minister said that infection rates on the east Mediterranean island nation of approximately 900,000 people have improved largely because of the government’s stepped-up vaccination program. A little over half of the population has so far received at least one vaccine shot, while one-fourth has received two shots.