Cyprus to shoulder costs of quarantine entertainment for tourists

Cyprus’ deputy minister for tourism Savvas Perdios told the Daily Mail that the island will be ready in the event that a tourist contracts coronavirus while on holiday here, while every effort will be made so that the ‘holiday vibe’ is maintained even while visitors and those accompanying them are in isolation.

Three hotels and one hospital will deal exclusively with tourists that need to remain in isolation or that might require medical treatment, he said, reiterating that the all hospital or accommodation costs will be shouldered by the local government.

Perdios noted that 500 rooms have been earmarked at the hotels designated as quarantine premises for any tourists that contract the virus while on the island, stressing that all efforts will be made so that tourists still feel they are on vacation while in quarantine.

“They can order room service, meals and drinks, and will be provided with nightly entertainment including karaoke, shows and bingo so it will still feel like a holiday. The government will cover the cost of this. We don’t want visitors to end up paying double,” Perdios told the British news outlet.

Perdios said he was confident UK tourists would be able to visit the island from mid-July.

“We expect UK tourist to be able to visit by mid-July,” he said. “August and September are looking very good for UK tourists. We are one of the warmest countries in the Mediterranean, so it’s hot here until Christmas.”

“Cyprus will not look like a major hospital this summer. There will be social distancing in place, of course, and increased cleaning but visitors won’t have to book a sunbed or be forced to sunbathe in a mask. The service will be much better as there’ll be fewer people,” Perdios said.