Decree issued for teams travelling to Cyprus for UEFA games

The health minister on Tuesday issued a new decree that will apply for football teams travelling to Cyprus to participate in UEFA games with local teams.

The decree states that coordinators of a football team’s mission are required to present a list with all the names of those travelling, including players and staff.

All travelling to Cyprus in the context of a football match are also required to get tested for coronavirus, regardless of the country from which they are arriving, and to submit to the health ministry information on the date the test was taken by each person and the corresponding result.

The decree, placed into effect immediately, comes after the virus infiltrated the local football scene, with clusters formed among staff and players of the first division teams Nea Salamina, Ethnikos Achnas, AC Omonia, and second division team ASIL Lysi.

Particularly in the case of Omonia, a player tested positive after the team flew back from Greece where it played against Olympiakos in the first leg of a Champions League qualifier.

The decree will not be affecting Olympiakos, which arrived in Cyprus on Monday before the decree came into effect, in view of the second leg of their Champions League playoff with Omonia to take place at GSP stadium in Nicosia on Tuesday night.