No quarantine-free entry under new rule
QUARANTINE-free entry to the TRNC for Covid-19 negative passengers staying for three days or less has been suspended.
The new rule came into effect on Tuesday, as part of the latest package of measures to counter Covid-19, and will be in force until at least 11.59pm on December 23.
The change, recommended to the government by the Communicable Diseases High Committee, was implemented on the same day North Cyprus recorded its sixth death from the disease.
Zekiye Dögen, 83, who had been receiving treatment at the intensive care unit of Lefkoşa State Hospital, also had high blood pressure and diabetes, according to a statement from the Health Ministry.
It was also announced that all North Cyprus-bound travellers, including TRNC citizens, must now pay for the costs of their seven days’ quarantine beforehand by depositing money into bank accounts belonging to the Finance Ministry, or they will not be allowed to travel.
The amount has been set at 2,225TL but can also be paid in pound sterling (£214), US dollars ($289) or in euros ( 238).
However, following the initial announcement, the then Education Minister Nazım Çavuşoğlu announced that those travelling to study in the TRNC would not have to pay and that the Finance Ministry had set aside 10 million TL to cover the costs.
“Regardless of their citizenship, students who enter the TRNC will not pay for quarantine expenses,” he said.
“Those who have paid will be refunded. We will continue to make sacrifices as a studentfriendly island.”
In a statement to Parliament on Tuesday Olgun Amcaoğlu, who was the finance minister up until Wednesday, said that 100 million TL of the TRNC’s 155m TL Covid19 war chest for 2020 had been spent on the cost of providing quarantine.
“During the quarantine process, which is unique in the world, there were times when we had . . . up to 6,311 people in quarantine like we are a tour operator,” he said. “Currently, 2,828 people are staying in 46 facilities.”
Other new measures include “fines” for any company that has issued travel tickets to passengers if they then test positive for Covid19 when they have their second PCR test after arriving in North Cyprus.
The tickets must only be sold, for those travelling from Turkey, after the purchaser has provided their “HES” code, a system used by Turkish nationals that helps the person safely share their Covid-19 risk status with institutions and individuals.
Firms selling plane and ferry tickets are obliged to check the HES code of the passenger to ensure they have a negative PCR test, and must not sell tickets to anyone who has been determined to be Covid-19 positive, or if they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive.
With New Year on way, the Health Ministry also announced new limits on the number of people who can attend parties on New Year’s Eve depending on the size of the venue.
No more than 100 people can be in venues of 300 m2 or bigger, a maximum of 50 people can attend parties in areas covering 100m2 to 300m2, while only 30 people will be permitted at parties at places that are 50m2 to 100m2 in size.
It was also announced that NHS Covid-19 test results are now accepted for travellers from the UK, including in the form of printouts or text messages.
Additionally, UK students’ PCR tests from their universities will be accepted as well, the Health Ministry added. The Communicable Diseases High Committee was due to meet yesterday evening to review the rules.