Cyprus downgrades four countries in updated travel list

The Republic of Cyprus on Tuesday downgraded four countries in its three-tier risk-based classification of countries, with the updated travel list to come into effect on October 9.

According to the new list, Lithuania was bumped down to category B, while Belgium, Georgia and Slovakia were downgraded to category C.

The evaluation was based on the epidemiological indicators of the countries, such as: the effective reproduction number R(t) for SARS-CoV-2, the number of new diagnoses, the number of laboratory tests, the mortality rate per 100,000 inhabitants, the estimated prevalence and the impact and classification by the World Health Organization (WHO), as these indicators appear on valid databases.

The updated list in full

Category A – low-risk countries

European Union Member States: Germany, Latvia and Finland
Non-EU: Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand

Included in this category are countries with an effective reproduction (Rt) number lower than 1 or/and small number of new diagnoses (<1/100,000 inhabitants per day) or/and small or very small COVID-19 mortality (<5-10/100,000 inhabitants) or/and classification of sporadic cases or clusters of cases according to the WHO or/and at least satisfactory laboratory testing (>3000 tests/100,000 inhabitants).
Passengers arriving from category A countries are not required to present a COVID-19 test certificate or self-isolate.

Category B - possibly low risk but greater uncertainty compared to category A

European Union Member States: Denmark, Greece, Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden,
UK

Schengen Area Members:  Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway

Small States:  Vatican City, San Marino

Non-EU: Uruguay, China (including Hong Kong), Japan, Rwanda, Canada, Serbia

Included in this category are countries with an effective reproduction (Rt) number greater than 1 or/and number of new diagnoses <1/100,000 inhabitants per day or/and increased COVID-19 mortality (>10/100,000 inhabitants) or/and limited laboratory testing (<2000 tests/100,000 inhabitants) or lack of WHO classification.

Passenger arriving from category B countries are required to undergo a coronavirus test within 72 hours prior to departure and to possess a certificate showing a negative PCR examination for the virus.

Arrivals falling under the following categories have the option of getting tested for the virus upon their arrival to the Republic of Cyprus, with the cost to be shouldered by the arrivals:
a) Cypriot citizens and their family members (their alien spouses, underage children and parents), 
b) all those legally residing in the Republic,
c) persons entitled to under the Vienna Convention,
d) persons, irrespective of nationality, whose countries of residence do not provide a laboratory testing service (public or private) to those wishing to travel to the Republic of Cyprus according to a relevant announcement.

Category C – high-risk countries compared to categories A and B

European Union Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Croatia, Luxembourg, Romania, Spain, Malta, Netherlands, Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic

Small States:  Andorra, Monaco

Schengen Area Members: Switzerland

Non-EU: Algeria, Georgia, Morocco, Montenegro, Tunisia

All countries not included in categories A or B are placed in this category. Some of the countries which are of high risk according to their epidemiological picture, are mentioned above.

Entry into the Republic from category C countries shall be allowed only for specific categories of citizens who have the possibility to choose whether to undergo a diagnostic test for COVID19 upon their arrival in Cyprus or have with them a negative RT-PCR test certificate for COVID-19, undertaken within 72 hours prior to departure. Arrivals are required to remain in self-isolation for 14 days. Relevant sanitary instructions are available at the following link: https://www.pio.gov.cy/coronavirus/en/info.html 

Citizens arriving from category C countries are obliged to undergo a molecular examination for COVID-19, 48 hours prior to the termination of their 14-day self-isolation, at their own expense. The test results should be sent to the following email address: monada@mphs.moh.gov.cy. If the repeat test comes back negative, quarantined arrivals may terminate their isolation.

All passengers, regardless of country category, are obliged to file an application for the CyprusFlightPass within 24 hours prior to their flight departure. Moreover, in view of safeguarding public health and monitoring the epidemiological picture, a random sampling program on passengers of arriving flights is ongoing at both Cyprus airports.