Publication of the country epidemiological risk assessment for COVID-19, dated 20/12/2021.
According to the Ministry of Health, Romania has been reclassified from the red to the orange category.
The new categorisation comes into force on 23 December.
In detail:
Following a decision of the Council of Ministers, dated 18 February 2021, regarding the Action Plan for the gradual resumption of flights and the reopening of airports, the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health reassessed the epidemiological picture of the different countries with regard to COVID-19.
The classification for the countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) including Switzerland in Categories Green, Orangeor 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, United Kingdom, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Belarus, Belarus, Qatar, Serbia, United States of America, Armenia, Georgia, Bahrain), additionally from 1/6/21 Kuwait and Canada and from 15/10/2021 Oman as well as any additional countries included in the updated list of the European Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/89 on the phasing out of temporary restrictions on non-essential travel in the EU, these are epidemiologically assessed by the Ministry of Health and classified as Green, Orange and Red.
The categorisation of countries below, based on epidemiological risk assessment, is highly dynamic and can change at any time as the pandemic evolves and epidemiological data changes. To this end, new data will be released and the list of countries will be updated frequently.
Green countries - Low risk countries at this stage
- Third Countries:United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
Note that passengers from Green Tier countries are not required to present a laboratory test certificate COVID-19, nor are they subject to self-limitation.
Orange Tier countries (Orange) - Countries with potentially low risk but with higher doubt compared to the Green Tier
- Member States of the European Union: Greece, Romania
- Third Countries: Australia, Japan, Israel, Canada, China (including Hong Kong and Macao), Colombia, New Zealand, Qatar, Uruguay, Rwanda
Note that all passengers from Orange category countries, are required to have had a laboratory test PCR within 72 hours prior to departure and have a certificate proving a negative test PCR for the virus.
Red countries - Countries at increased risk compared to Green and Orange countries
- Member States of the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Spain, Sweden
- Small States: Andorra, Monaco, Monaco, Vatican City, San Marino
- Members of the Schengen area: Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Liechtenstein, Norway
- Third Countries: Argentina, Armenia, Armenia, Egypt, Georgia, Belarus, Lebanon, Jordan, Jordan, Lebanon, South Korea, Oman, Peru, Russia, Serbia, Chile, Serbia, Oman, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, United States of America, United Kingdom.
Note that all passengers coming from Red Category countries, are required: a) to have had a laboratory test within 72 hours before departure and to have a certificate proving a negative PCR test for the virus[/b] and b) to have a laboratory test upon arrival in the Republic of Cyprus.
It should be noted that the cost of the tests is covered by the persons themselves and in addition such persons should remain under house arrest until the result is issued.
Grey category countries (Special Permission / Special):
Countries not mentioned above in the Green, Orange and Red categories are considered to be included in the Grey category (Special Permission / Special Permission). For countries in the Grey Category, entry into the Republic of Cyprusis permitted only to the following categories of passengers:
-Cypriot citizens and their family members (their foreign spouses and their minor children),
-European citizens, citizens of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Switzerland,
-Persons legally residing in the Republic,
-Persons entitled to enter the Republic in accordance with the Vienna Convention, and
-Persons who are nationals of third States, entitled to enter the Republic of Cyprus, after obtaining special permission from the Republic of Cyprus as determined by the Infectious Diseases (Determination of Measures to Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus COVID-19) Ordinance (No. 9) of 2021, as amended from time to time.
Passengers arriving in the Republic of Cyprus from Grey Category (Special Permission) countries remain under mandatory self-limitation or mandatory isolation (quarantine) fourteen (14) days or alternatively in mandatory self-limitation or mandatory isolation (quarantine) seven (7) days if they undergo again a molecular test for COVID;19 (at their own expense) on day 7and have a negative laboratory result.
In addition for all categories (green, orange, red and grey) passengers who qualify for screening in Cyprus instead of in the country of departure are listed in the link below:
https:/cyprusflightpass.gov.cy/el/passengers-eligible-for-a-test
Note that the above country categorisation will be effective from 23 December 2021.
Requirements for vaccinated/recovered passengers:
The requirements applicable to vaccinated persons or persons who have recovered from COVID-19 so that they can travel to the Republic of Cyprus, from any country of departure, without being required to meet the requirements of the respective category, such as for example RT-PCR laboratory test or obligation for self-limitation/quarantine etc. or issuance of a special permit, for the purpose of entry into the Republic of Cyprus are described in the following link:
https:/cyprusflightpass.gov.cy/el/vaccinated-passengers
Taking into account the emerging data regarding the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 that was initially identified in Botswana and raised an alarm due to the large number of mutations it carries and to safeguard public health, as of 26 November 2021, the Ministry of Health informs that:
- i) In addition to and without prejudice to the measures already in place, all persons entering the Republic of Cyprus by air, regardless of their original country of departure and regardless of whether or not they hold an acceptable certificate of completed vaccination or an acceptable certificate of recovery from COVID-19 disease or a negative laboratory test upon departure ,from 06 December 2021, (00:01 a.m.), all persons entering the Republic of Cyprus by air, regardless of their original country of departure and regardless of whether or not they hold an acceptable certificate of completed vaccination or an acceptable certificate of recovery from COVID-19 disease or a negative laboratory test upon departure ,from 06 December 2021, (00:01 a.m.p.m.) until 10 January 2022, (23:59 p.m.) shall undergo PCR diagnostic testing for COVID-19 upon arrival at airports in the Republic of Cyprus. The cost of the PCR diagnostic test for COVID-19 will be paid by the passenger.
- ii) The arrival and/or entry into the Republic of any person who, during the 14 days preceding his/her arrival in the Republic, has either resided in or transited through the territory of the countries shall be prohibited:
- South Africa,
- Namibia,
- Lesotho,
- Kingdom of Eswatini,
- Zimbabwe,
- Mozambique,
- Malawi
- Botswana
For more information on persons exempted from the ban and the procedure to follow please visit the link: https:/www.pio.gov.cy/coronavirus/uploads/26112021_apagorefsieisodouneametallaxi_EL.pdf
It is stressed that all passengers, regardless of country category, including persons holding a valid vaccination certificate are required to submit an application to CyprusFlightPass within 48 hoursprior to the departure of their flight. In addition, for the purposes of safeguarding public health and monitoring the epidemiological picture, the Ministry of Health may carry out random laboratory COVID-19 molecular testing of passengers (including persons holding a vaccination certificate) on selected flights
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Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
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