Cyprus puts travelers from UK up in hotels

Cyprus’ health ministry rushed to clarify instructions for airports on Monday amid fears of a coronavirus mutation, saying a 7-day mandatory self-isolation for all adult travelers from the United Kingdom will take place in hotels with the state footing the bill.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, air passengers landing at Larnaca and Paphos international airports after Monday morning at 6am, were being asked to remain in self isolation for 14 days, or 10 days if a PCR test comes back negative after one week.

But local media Monday late morning reported new clarifications from the health ministry pointed to a seven-day mandatory self-isolation in government-approved hotels for those arriving on British flights, starting in the evening at 6pm.

According to the latest instructions, travelers from UK airports will be administered a test for the coronavirus upon landing at one of the two airports in the Republic, and additionally they will be required to stay at a hotel under self-isolation for seven days.

Minors may choose to remain in self-isolation at home but they can also self-isolate in a hotel if they are traveling with a parent or guardian.

All costs for transporting and staying at the hotels will be paid by the state, according to the latest clarification.

Also, a PCR test conducted on the seventh day, if shown negative, will allow travelers to terminate their self-isolation three days later, on the tenth day, as long as there are no symptoms.

The latest measures were decided over the weekend after a number of countries moved to halt flights from the UK amid fears of a new strain of coronavirus spreading more rapidly in that country.

Additional reports said other countries may see a rise in cases involving the new COVID-19 variant.

Germany, which holds the rotating EU presidency, has banned all flights from Britain except cargo flights and called a special emergency meeting on Monday where member states will assess information and coordinate a plan.