Statements by the Minister of Health after the meeting of the inter-ministerial committee presided by the President of the Republic, at the Presidential Palace

1) Flights from the following countries to the airports of Larnaka and Pafos will be banned as of 3a.m. 21 March 2020 for a period of 14 days (with the exception of cargo flights):

1. Bahrain
2. Belarus
3. Belgium
4. Bulgaria
5. Egypt
6. Estonia
7. Germany
8. Hungary
9. Ireland
11. Jordan
12. Latvia
13. Lebanon
14. Lithuania
15. Malta
16. The Netherlands
17. Norway
18. Poland
19. Qatar
20. Romania
21. Russia
22. Serbia
23. Slovakia
24. Sweden
25. Switzerland
26. Ukraine
27. United Kingdom
28. Greece

2) Paragraph 2(a) of the decree issued by the Minister of Health, dated 15 March 2020, in relation to the presentation of a medical examination certificate of coronavirus will still be in force until 3 a.m. 21 March 2020.

The following cases are excluded:
-People who travelled for health reasons.
-People that are on short professional/business trips.
-People that are under the terms of the Vienna convention.

Note: People falling within the categories above may be accompanied by individuals they were accompanied by during their departure and during their treatment abroad.

Individuals falling within the categories above, instead of possessing a health certificate, they have to possess a certificate issued by the diplomatic missions of Cyprus, which is going to be issued if those individuals present to the diplomatic missions of Cyprus the necessary documentation proving the reasons mentioned in categories 2(a) and 2(b) (e.g. departure tickets from Cyprus or doctor’s notes from the medical facilities they were treated by).

It is also added that flights to the Republic of Cyprus without passengers will be allowed for those wishing to leave the island.

The related decrees are going to be daily updated accordingly.

3) If necessary, the Republic of Cyprus is going to charter special flights from Athens and London for those falling within the categories 2(a) and 2(b) above wishing to return to the Republic of Cyprus.

4) It is further added that all the individuals falling within the categories above entering the Republic of Cyprus will still need to go to a 14-day compulsory isolation (quarantine) in places indicated by the government with the exception of people staying abroad for helath reasons. The latter are going to remain in self-isolation in order to carry on with their treatment uninterruptedly.

 

(ND)