COVID19: Cyprus ready to give go-ahead to airports, hotels opening

Cyprus’ cabinet is expected to decide on Friday when the airports and hotels can reopen with President Nicos Anastasiades giving the green light for a tourism action plan.

The Cabinet meeting is scheduled to start at 11.45 am at the Presidential Palace, Nicosia.

The government is expected to announce the date airports will resume their operations expected to be in mid-June, according to Dr Petros Karayiannis, a professor of virology at the University of Nicosia Medical School and advisor to the Health Ministry.

Karayiannis said that the Ministry of Health’s Epidemiological Surveillance Unit is evaluating a list of 20 countries that could be allowed to send tourists to Cyprus this summer.

Depending on their epidemiological situation, countries could be categorized into those for which a COVID-19 test certificate would not be required upon entry and those for which the certificate would be mandatory to allow tourists in.

According to CNA, countries will be categorised as “low” and “high risk”, depending on their epidemiological situation and the data provided by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The process will be fluid, in order to re-evaluate the categorisation of each country in case its epidemiological situation changes.

The cabinet’s action plan is expected to make detailed reference to specific countries, the processes to follow for the citizens of each country allowed to enter Cyprus.

There also be a timeline and protocols to follow, along with the necessary forms that visitors need to fill.