NEW COUNTRY TRAVEL CATEGORISATION - WHAT'S CHANGING - From 1 April

 Filenews 29 March 2021

The Ministry of Health's Surveillance Unit has re-evaluated the image of various countries on the coronavirus, resulting in a new categorization of countries.

According to the Communication, the differences are:

1. Ireland from the Orange Division moves to the Red Division.
2. On the basis of the relevant Decision of the Council of Ministers on the new action plan for the resumption of flights from 1 April, the third countries included in the updated list of the European Council Recommendation, as well as the additional 16 third countries included by the Council of Ministers should be categorised up to the Red Category. Therefore:
3. Of the third countries already categorized from 1 March, the following countries will move from the Grey Category to the Red Category: United Kingdom, Israel, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Belarus.
4. Rwanda will move from grey to red.
5. From 1 April the following countries will join the categorization, in the Red Category: Serbia, United States of America, Armenia, Georgia, Bahrain, Qatar.

The classification for the countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) including Switzerland in categories Green, Orange or Red is based on that of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

As regards third countries (United Kingdom, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Belarus, Qatar, Serbia, United States of America, Armenia, Georgia, Bahrain) as well as those included in the updated list of the European Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/89, on the phasing out of temporary restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU, these are epidemiologically assessed by the Ministry of Health and classified in Green, Orange, Red.

The following categorization of countries, based on the epidemiological risk assessment, is extremely dynamic and can be differentiated at any time, as the pandemic evolves and epidemiological data change. To this end, new data will be announced and the list of countries will be updated frequently.

Green Countries – Low-risk countries at this stage

• Members of the Schengen Zone: 1) Iceland
• Third Countries: 1) Australia, 2) New Zealand, 3) Singapore, 4) Saudi Arabia

It should be noted that passengers from Green Class countries do not require the presentation of a COVID-19 laboratory test certificate, nor does it require self-limit.

It is clarified that for the period 1-31 March 2021,all passengers from Green Class countries will be subjected on arrival in Cyprus to a PCR laboratory examination, the cost of which will be covered by the Republic of Cyprus. From 1 April 2021, there will be no restrictions.

Orange Countries –Countries with a potentially low risk but with more doubt compared to the Green Category

• Member States of the European Union: 1) Portugal
• Third Countries: 1) China (including Hong Kong and Macau), 2) South Korea, 3) Thailand

It is noted that passengers from the countries of the orange category are required to have carried out a PCR laboratory check within 72 hours prior to departure and to have a certificate proving a negative PCR test for the virus.

It should be clarified, at the same time, that passengers from Countries of the Orange Category falling into the following categories may carry out the molecular examination on arrival in the Republic:

1. Cypriot citizens and members of their families (their foreign spouses, and their minor children),
2. Legal persons residing in the Republic,
3. Persons entitled to enter the Republic in accordance with the Vienna Convention, and
4. Persons regardless of nationality, where documented and following a communication from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Cyprus, the authorities of the country (Orange Category) residing, do not provide a laboratory analysis service.

It is noted that the cost of the examination is covered by them and in addition these persons should remain under house arrest until the result is published.

Red countries – Countries of increased risk compared to the countries of the Green and Orange Categories:

• Member States of the European Union: 1) Austria, 2) Belgium, 3) Bulgaria, 4) France, 5) Croatia, 6) Luxembourg, 7) Romania, 8) Spain, 9) Italy, 10) Greece, 11) Malta, 12) Netherlands, 13) Hungary, 14) Poland, 15) Finland, 16) Slovakia, 17) Slovenia, 18) Czech Republic, 19) Estonia, 20) Latvia, 21) Lithuania, 22) Sweden, 23) Germany, 24) Denmark, 25) Ireland
• Small States: 1) Andorra, 2) Monaco, 3) Vatican City, 4) San Marino
• Members of the Schengen Zone: 1) Switzerland, 2) Liechtenstein, 3) Norway
• Third Countries: 1) United Kingdom, 2) Israel, 3) Russia, 4) United Arab Emirates, 5) Ukraine, 6) Jordan, 7) Lebanon, 8) Egypt, 9) Belarus, 10) Qatar, 11) Serbia, 12) United States of America, 13) Armenia, 14) Georgia, 15) Bahrain, 16) Rwanda

It should be noted that passengers from the Red Class countries are required to: (a) have carried out a laboratory check within 72 hours prior to their departure and have a certificate proving a negative PCR test for the virus and (b) carry out a laboratory test on arrival in the Republic of Cyprus.

It is noted that the cost of the examinations is covered by them and in addition these persons should remain under house arrest until the result is published.

The following categories may enter the Republic of Cyprus from Red Class countries having carried out, at their own expense, laboratory testing only upon arrival in the Republic of Cyprus:

1. Cypriot citizens and members of their families (their foreign spouses and their minor children),
2. Legal persons residing in the Republic, and
3. Persons entitled to enter the Republic in accordance with the Vienna Convention.

In such a case, the persons referred to in points 1-3 above shall remain in a mandatory self-limit regime for 72 hours after arrival and after the end of 72 hours shall be re-examined for a molecular examination (PCR) at their own expense. If the result of the retest is negative, they are released from self-limit. The result of the examination shall be sent to the E-monada@mphs.moh.gov.cy.

Grey Category Countries (Special License ):

Countries not mentioned above (in the green, orange and red categories) are considered to be included in the Grey Category (Special Permission). For Grey Class countries, entry to the Republic of Cyprus is permitted only in the following categories of passengers:

1. Cypriot citizens and members of their families (their foreign spouses and their minor children),
2. European citizens, citizens of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Switzerland,
3. Legal persons residing in the Republic,
4. Persons entitled to enter the Republic in accordance with the Vienna Convention, and
5. Persons of nationality of third States who are entitled to enter the Republic of Cyprus, after special permission from the Republic of Cyprus as defined by the Infectious Disease (Determination of Measures to Prevent the Spread of corovirus COVID-19) Decree (No. 9) of 2021, as amended.

It is noted that passengers from the countries of this category should have carried out a laboratory test by a recognised laboratory, with sampling carried out during the last 72 hours prior to their journey to the Republic of Cyprus and having a certificate proving a negative PCR for COVID-19. With the exception of category 2, other persons may, if they wish to do so, carry out the laboratory test on arrival in the Republic of Cyprus by paying the cost of the laboratory test themselves.

Passengers arriving in the Republic of Cyprus from Grey Category (Special Permission) countries remain in a mandatory self-contained or mandatory isolation (quarantine) regime of fourteen (14) days or alternatively in a mandatory self-containing or mandatory quarantine regime of ten (10) days if they undergo a molecular examination for COVID-19 disease (at their own expense) on the 10th day and have a negative laboratory result. The result of the laboratory examination will be sent to the e-monada@mphs.moh.gov.cy.

It is stressed that all passengers, regardless of country category, are obliged to apply for CyprusFlightPass within 24 hours prior to the departure of their flight. In addition, for the purpose of ensuring public health and supervising the epidemiological picture, COVID-19 laboratory molecular testing will be carried out on passengers on selected flights arriving.

It is noted that the above categorization of countries will take effect from 1 April 2021.

Source: eyenews