Filenews 5 April 2021
The new travel categorization will take effect from Thursday, April 8, the Ministry of Health announced. Based on the differences Thailand from the Orange Category is classified in the Green Category, South Korea by the Orange Category is classified in the Green Category, Denmark by the Red Category is classified in the Orange Category and Israel by the Red Category is classified in the Orange Category.
Following a decision of the Council of Ministers of 18 February 2021 on the Action Plan for the gradual resumption of flights and the reopening of airports, the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health re-evaluated the epidemiological picture of the various countries with regard to COVID-19 disease.
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
- Third Countries: 1) Australia, 2) New Zealand, 3) Singapore, 4) Saudi Arabia, 5) South Korea, 6) Thailand
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.
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, 2) Denmark
- Members of the Schengen Zone: 1) Iceland
- Third Countries: 1) China (including Hong Kong and Macau), 2) Israel
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:
- Cypriot citizens and members of their families (their foreign spouses, and their minor children),
- Legal persons residing in the Republic,
- Persons entitled to enter the Republic in accordance with the Vienna Convention, and
- 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) 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) Rwanda, 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,
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:
- Cypriot citizens and members of their families (their foreign spouses and their minor children),
- Legal persons residing in the Republic, and
- 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 / Special Permission):
Countries not listed below in the categories green, orange and red are considered to be included in the Grey category (Special License).
- Cypriot citizens and members of their families (their foreign spouses and their minor children),
- European citizens, citizens of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Switzerland,
- Legal persons residing in the Republic,
- Persons entitled to enter the Republic in accordance with the Vienna Convention, and
- 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 Cyprus Flight Pass 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 8 April 2021.
Source: eyenews
