Cyprus has lifted the Safe Pass requirement for retail shops and malls while also scrapping the passenger locator form (flight pass) and colour-coded country risk assessment as it moves toward removing all COVID-19 restrictions.
From Monday, presenting a Safe Pass document is only required for higher risk hospitality venues such as the indoor facilities of restaurants, cafes, and nightclubs.
After two years of travel rules, Cyprus no longer requires arrivals to complete a passenger locator form before boarding an aircraft. Countries will not be categorised by their COVID-risk level.
Vaccinated passengers are no longer required to take any action to board a flight to the Mediterranean island, but unvaccinated travellers must carry a negative 24-hour rapid test or 72-hour PCR test.
Quarantine and testing requirements for unvaccinated passengers from high-risk countries have also been lifted.
Vaccinated travellers must present proof of being inoculated with a European Union-approved jab.
Cyprus has also scrapped its three-coloured system (green, red, grey), which saw unvaccinated passengers subjected to compulsory testing and restrictions – before and after arrival –according to their country of origin.
With the latest relaxations, Cyprus is now one step away from lifting all COVID-19 restrictions, with authorities expected to lift the last remaining measures after Greek Easter.
A mask mandate for outdoor facilities was abolished last week, along with the requirement for a Safe Pass to go to work, except for health workers and employees at closed structures.
People visiting public or private sectors services such as government offices and banks no longer have to present a Safe Pass document.
People testing positive can exit their quarantine without a negative test on the seventh day.
Close contacts that have not been vaccinated only have to stay in isolation for five days instead of seven.
Those with valid vaccination documents were already exempted from isolation.
Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantelas will meet scientists advising the government on the coronavirus outbreak and forwarding their suggestions to the cabinet on Wednesday.
Over 464,204 COVID-19 cases and 988 deaths have been reported.
