Digital CovScan will be mandatory by the 22nd of November

Following the decision of the Council of Ministers to carry out SafePass checks through the CovScan Cyprus application, the Ministry of Health is reminding the public that the use of the application becomes mandatory from Monday, November 22, onwards.

The application quickly and securely certifies the validity of the European Digital Certificate (EUDCC) for SafePass purposes. Therefore, citizens will have until November 22 to issue the European Digital Certificate through the website https://www.eudcc.gov.cy/. The EUDCC can be presented in digital form on a mobile phone (smartphone) or in printed form, provided that the QR code is displayed on it.

Vaccinated individuals and those who have recovered from COVID will only need to upload their information once to receive their EUDCC.  While individuals who have not been vaccinated or have not completed their vaccination and need to be tested regularly will need to upload the test results to receive their certificate on a regular basis, each time a new test is performed.

In establishments/companies where more than 10 people can be accommodated and the presentation of SafePass is required, owners/managers or their authorized employees must, from November 22, scan the QR code provided on the certificate, according to the regulations.

The application can also be installed on any device using Android software and is available for free through Google Play. Instructions for how the application works can be found at the link: https://wiki.eudcc.gov.cy/COVSCAN_Android_EN.pdf.

Moreover, in cases of shopping malls or department stores, where several businesses abide, the verification checks are done at the entrance of the shopping center/department store and no re-inspection is required by the businesses or stores within.

Citizens and residents belonging to the following groups below are exempted from presenting their SafePass digitally, but will be allowed to present it in another form: 

-People aged 65 and over,
-People aged 18 and under,
-Turkish Cypriot citizens who have been vaccinated in areas of the Republic of Cyprus where the Government does not exercise effective control,
-Tourists (ie persons who are non-permanent residents of the Republic and enter the Republic legally) who have been vaccinated in countries other than those of the European Union, the European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) or Switzerland, and
Permanent/legal residents of Cyprus who have been vaccinated in countries other than those of the European Union, the European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) or Switzerland.

Persons falling into the above categories will be checked for SafePass possession and must present a certificate proving that they meet one of the SafePass requirements (vaccination card or COVID-19 recovery certificate in printed form or text message or certificate of negative result from PCR or rapid antigen test in printed form or text message).

The Ministry of Health reminds the public that checks through the app are carried out by scanning the QR code indicated on the certificate (in printed or electronic form) and the results will show one of the following:

- Green: The certificate is valid and means that the holder has completed his vaccination plan or has COVID-19 disease.

- Blue: The certificate is valid and means that the holder has undergone a PCR test with a negative result,

- Yellow / Orange: The certificate is valid and means that the holder has undergone a rapid antigen test with a negative result.

- Red: The certificate is invalid.

More information about the CovScan Cyprus application is available at: https://bit.ly/31UGJtp.