Filenews 21 December 2021 - by Adamos Adamou
The tightening of measures at airports, with the aim of containing the pandemic and halting the mutation "Omikron", although temporarily, is still negative for tourism, deputy minister of tourism Savvas Perdios tells "F".
As is well known, since the 6th of the month, all those arriving in Cyprus are obliged to check a PCR at their own expense (€15 Larnaca / €19 Paphos), while since last Saturday additional measures have been in place for travellers from the United Kingdom.
Asked by "F" to comment on the decisions that were announced and took effect on Saturday for those entering from the UK, the Secretary of State said there have been several cancellations, but did not want to focus on the British market alone, adding that any decisions made that make it difficult to move are self-evidently leading to cancellations. "We may think we don't have tourism now, so it doesn't affect. That is not the case, though. Of course it has tourism, of course it has people who had made reservations for Cyprus, of course it has hotels that would have good occupancy, hence they chose to stay open", said Mr. Perdios, considering, however, that everything that happens now is temporary, wishing to stay such. He stressed, however, the need to convince our partners abroad that these measures are indeed temporary "and that we know how to organise ourselves for 2022".
In this context, he reiterated, as last week, in the context of the presentation of the actions of his Deputy Ministry for 2021, that we must, as a destination, in form in time about the protocol of operation of the destination for the new year, in order for the tourist partners of Cyprus abroad to proceed with their own planning.
"There is an understanding on our part that 'Omikron' is uncontrollable abroad and that we need to have more information about the variant, but what we want everyone to understand is that the destination will not be able to function in the new year without a protocol for the operation of the destination, in time determined," the deputy minister of tourism noted. It is worth noting that, on Saturday, the Ministry of Health announced that due to the rapid increase of cases with the variant "Omikron" in the United Kingdom, all passengers entering the Republic of Cyprus from the United Kingdom from the United Kingdom, over 12 years of age and regardless of vaccination coverage or previous illness, must apply specific measures, listed below.
The new measures concerning those arriving from the UK.
- Until the PCR is issued as a result of those arriving from the UK, they are obliged to remain in self-isolation in their place of residence. In case of a positive result, they remain strictly in self-isolation and await instructions from the Unit of Epidemiological Surveillance & Control of Infectious Diseases.
- Upon arrival, passengers receive a package containing 5 self-tests, which they must use in case they have a negative result in the PCR test at the airport. Passengers will conduct a self-test every day and, in case of a positive result, they will contact their Personal Doctor in Cyprus to refer them for PCR examination to the Public Health Clinics of their province of residence. If they do not have a Personal Doctor in Cyprus, then they will contact directly the Coordination of Public Health Clinics at the email: coordination.iatreiadygeias@moh.gov.cy by sending their identification details (name, surname, telephone number, id number, date of birth and province), as well as a photo of their positive self-test.
- In the 72 hours from their arrival, given that in the previous days they had a negative result in the conduct of the self-test, they should carry out a rapid test in the mobile units of the Ministry of Health and send the result to the email: monada2@mphs.moh.gov.cy through the website from which they will issue it (www.eudcc.gov.cy) by selecting APOSTOLI. In order to be eligible for the rapid test free of charge, they must present their boarding pass at the sampling point.
