UK tourists possibly to be allowed into Cyprus within weeks

Tourists from the UK are expected to be allowed to visit Cyprus within weeks, Deputy Minister for Tourism Savvas Perdios told Sky News on Thursday, noting that the Cyprus government is doing everything it can to ensure incoming visitors do not need to spend a period in quarantine.

Perdios said the exclusion of the UK from the group of countries from which the island will accept visitors in the initial phase of the resumption of flights was not based on tourism criteria, but on epidemiological data.

“I expect this to change in a few weeks, as we re-evaluate the situation every week,” Perdiou said, adding that as the UK’s epidemiological situation improves, it is highly likely that it will be included in one of the two categories in the list of countries from which Cyprus will accept tourists this season, even if this may mean UK tourists might have to present a certificate showing they tested negative for the virus prior to departure.

Perdios highlighted the Cyprus government’s decision to cover the quarantine costs of any visitor that emerges positive for the virus while on holiday, along with the costs for the isolation of those accompanying them.

He explained that the move aims to calm any fears of tourists considering to visit Cyprus, who may be worried about what will happen if they contract the virus while on the island.

Additionally, if someone staying at a hotel gets infected with coronavirus, the hotel won’t have to close. Rather, Perdios said, the infected person and those accompanying them will be transferred to designated isolation premises.

Asked about the UK’s move to impose a 14-day quarantine on all arrivals from abroad starting on Monday, Perdios expressed the hope that the measure will be re-evaluated in the coming weeks, so that in combinations with preparation to be made on the Cyprus front, someone could visit Cyprus from the UK sometime in July.