Filenews 13 May 2021
Clarifications for the recovery SMS for SafePass in people who were positive cases of COVID19, provided by the Ministry of Health.
Here are questions - answers in relation to this topic:
Who receives RECOVERY SMS (COVID19 Disease and Release Certificate) to be used as SafePass ;
A recovery message (SMS) for SafePass is received by all persons who have had confirmed cases in the last six months, declared to the Epidemiological Surveillance and Control Unit of Infectious Diseases (MEE&ELN) and released by their Personal Physician or in his absence from the Release Team of the Ministry of Health.
The person diagnosed as a case of coronavirus should be registered with the Ministry of Health's MEE&ELN within a reasonable period of time from the day of issue of the result.
Cases reported to the MEE&ELN are detected and released on the basis of protocol either following the actions of the Personal Physician or by the Mee&ELN Release Team (if there is no Personal Physician).
Persons registered in the MEE&ELN file who have been sick with COVID-19 with their release will receive a recovery SMS indicating the period of validity of the receipt.
Who sends the recovery SMS for SafePass?
The recovery SMS is automatically sent from the platform of the Ministry of Health, if the Personal Physician or in his absence the Release Team completes the procedure and registers the release date on the platform.
I am a positive case and I have not yet been released by my Personal Physician or the Release Team of the Ministry of Health. Am I entitled to SafePass?
The Personal Physician is responsible for the release of the positive case. Positive cases after the end of their disease receive a release SMS under the relevant protocol. The recovery SMS is automatically sent from the platform if the release process has been done correctly.
If the Personal Physician cannot locate you on the platform or does not know how to make the formal process of your release, he should contact the Release Team of the Ministry of Health or refer to the instructions sent to him. If the release process is not completed in an appropriate manner, you will automatically receive a message from the platform 20 days from the day of sampling of the test that determined you to be a case.
If you do not have a Personal Physician then you should contact the Ministry of Health's Release Team at the covidfollowup@moh.gov.cy.
It is understood that deceased or hospitalized patients will not receive recovery SMS. Nurses will receive it automatically when they are discharged.
How long does the recovery SMS apply to SafePass and since when?
The period of validity of the recovery SMS is 180 days from the date of sampling of the first positive result. It is understood that the certificate is valid after the release of the positive case, so the first 14 or 20 days are considered days of disease and are deducted from 180 days.
I've been in close contact, I've developed symptoms, I haven't conducted a test, but I've been in possession of a certificate from a Personal Physician or Paediatrician that I'm infected with coronavirus. ;
no. Recovery SMS is sent only to those diagnosed and confirmed by laboratory testing that they were diseased with COVID-19. Persons who have an epidemiological link and/or symptoms compatible with coronavirus then are suspected or possible cases according to the https://www.pio.gov.cy/coronavirus/ case definition and are not entitled to recovery SMS, since they have not underwent laboratory testing, in which case they have never been registered as confirmed cases.
I have a positive result which was not carried out in a clinical laboratory approved by the Ministry of Health for either RT- PCR or rapid test,I registered with me&ELN, I was invited to do verification by the Public Health Clinic Coordination with PCR,but I did not go to doit. ;
All positive results declared by a laboratory not on the relevant lists (on the date on which the sampling was carried out) as soon as they are declared to the MEA&ELN shall be referred to the Coordination of Public Health Clinics for verification by molecular method. If no confirmation is made, they remain possible. So you're not a beneficiary of SMS recovery.
I have conducted a self-test(alone at home or through a private procedure) with a positive result, I remained in confinement, but I did not register with the MEE&ELN, because I did not know where to turn.;
no. Self-testing (alone at home or through a private procedure) is not a valid diagnostic test and is not accepted by mee&eln, so in such case you are not a beneficiary of SMS recovery.
Am I entitled to the recovery SMS for SafePass if I have a positive result from a Clinical Laboratory approved by the Ministry of Health, but I have not been declared as a positive case in the MEE&ELN?
If the positive result was not declared by the clinical laboratory that carried out this examination or for any other reason this positive result was not registered and as a result of never contacting you an officer of the Tracing Team should send the responsible statement to contacttracing2@moh.gov.cy, your request will be considered within a reasonable period of time and will be contacted by a MEE&ELN officer.
I don't have a positive result that proves I've been diseased by the coronavirus, but I have test antibodies.
no. Laboratory testing of antibodies is not considered a laboratory criterion to make one a confirmed case. In addition, it cannot indicate the date of the person's disease in order to determine the duration of the recovery SMS.
I have a positive result from a laboratory that is on the list of laboratories that have verified the molecular virus detection methodology (RT-PCR) or in the list of laboratories conducting rapid tests that meet the minimum standards of the Ministry of Health, I was registered with the MEE&ELN, but I have not been called by tracing nor received SMS for release. ;
You should send the responsible statement to contacttracing2@moh.gov.cy e-mail address in order to investigate the reasons for not being contacted and to take appropriate corrective action. If it is confirmed that there has been a positive case, then you will receive the recovery SMS. If clarification is needed, a MEE&ELN officer will contact you.
I was declared as a positive case by a laboratory that is on the list of laboratories that have verified the molecular virus detection methodology (RT-PCR) or in the list of laboratories conducting rapid tests that meet the minimum standards of the Ministry of Health I was registered with the MEE&ELN, but I did not answer the phone of the Trace Team when I was called. ;
Yes, you must complete the declaration and send it to the e-mail address contacttracing2@moh.gov.cy. A MEE&ELN officer will contact you within a reasonable period of time to record your correct information on the platform and the recovery SMS can be sent to you.
I have changed my mobile phone number since the day I was declared a case or had originally given my landline number; can I now receive the recovery SMS for SafePass on my mobile phone?
You must complete the declaration and send it to the e-mail address contacttracing2@moh.gov.cy. A MEE&ELN officer will contact you within a reasonable period of time to record your correct information on the platform and the recovery SMS can be sent to you.
I've registered someone else's phone instead of mine; how do I get the recovery SMS for SafePass on my phone?
You must complete the declaration and send it to the e-mail address contacttracing2@moh.gov.cy. A MEE&ELN officer will contact you within a reasonable period of time to record your correct information on the platform and the recovery SMS can be sent to you.
I have a positive result from a foreign country within six months.
If you are a permanent resident of Cyprus and have tested positive in another country, then yes you are entitled to SafePass. However, you must request a certificate from an official body managing the pandemic in the country where you were diagnosed, stating the identification details (name, identity and date of birth), the date of sampling and the date of the result with a clear positive result, as well as the methodology used for the diagnosis and send us the certificate to contacttracing2@moh.gov.cy for management. Only certificates from an official body (Ministry of Health, Civil Protection, Epidemiological Surveillance Units, etc.) of the country you have been diagnosed will be accepted in Greek or English. Please note that certificates from private or public laboratories, certificates from doctors and SMS laboratory results will not be accepted.
Do I have SMS recovery to use as SafePass. Do I have the right to travel abroad with it, or to move freely to otherstates with it?
SafePass can currently only be used at national level and does not replace either CyprusFlightPass or the criteria that each country may have for controlling movement within and outside its borders.
Can I send the recovery SMS to another person?
no. The recovery SMS is purely personal and should not be sent to anyone other than the case or its guardians. The messages leave an electronic platform and can be verified at any time by official bodies with the platform of confirmed cases of MEE&ELN.
Responsible statement for people who were positive and did not receive recovery SMS
To: Ministry of Health Tracing Team
I declare responsibly that I have been diagnosed as a positive case of COVID19, I have been released but I have not received a text message about safepass or the identification/contact information is incorrect.
Please, as my case is being examined.
I submit the following information to facilitate your actions.
(Where * is a mandatory field to fill in)
Name*:
Last Name*:
Date of Birth*:
Contact number*:
ID Number/Passport Number/ARC*:
address:
P.C.:
province:
Positive Result Sampling Date*:
Laboratory where the examination was carried out*:
Area where the examination was carried out*:
Name of Personal Physician*:
Personal Physician Phone*:
Did I come into contact with a confirmed case 14 days before I got sick*? YES / NO
Name and last name of positive case I contacted*:
Attach positive laboratory result: YES / NO
I fully understand the legal consequences in the event of a false declaration
Name of person submitting the declaration: ________________
Signature: ____________________
Date: ____________________
This is sent to the contacttracing2@moh.gov.cy along with text describing the problem.
