Health ministry issues new guidelines for travellers

The health ministry on Friday reviewed the directions for travellers to high-risk countries for coronavirus, assuring citizens that Cyprus is following stricter measures than most European member states against the spreading of Covid-19.

Health ministers of European member states met on Friday in Brussels to discuss a contingency plan to avoid medicine shortages in case of a pandemic.

In his statements after the meeting, Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said the island was following strict measures against the spread of the virus.

Cyprus has not faced any medicine shortages yet, Ioannou said, but precautionary measures had been taken in case of a pandemic.

The ministry reviewed the directions given to people who travelled in the last two weeks based on the category of the country they came from.

Passengers who travelled in Hubei, China belong to the first category and will be isolated under medical supervision.

Passengers who travelled in the rest of China, northern Italy, Korea, Japan, Iran, Singapore and Hong Kong belong to the second category and they will be immediately checked on entry and self-isolate for 14 days.

Passengers who returned from Greece, France, Germany, Spain, central and southern Italy belong to the third category and are recommended to self-monitor without restrictions on movement but in case of symptoms they should stay home and communicate with the health services via 1420 citing their recent travel history.

The ministry said only passengers who belong in the second category and those who came in contact with a confirmed coronavirus case are separately tested at the airport by health professionals.

Travellers in transit flights who visited countries belonging to the second category in the last 14 days should inform the airport and ask to be tested.
The same procedure is followed in ports and crossing points, said the ministry, where people are asked to reply to a questionnaire and based on the answers authorities follow the relevant protocol.

The ministry asked all citizens to follow personal hygiene measures and take precautionary safety measures.

Anyone who shows symptoms of respiratory infection should contact 1420.

For more information visit www.pio.gov.cy/coronavirus.

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