Over 100,000 Cypriots got an EU Green Pass
One in ten Cypriots have obtained the EU Digital Covid Certificate introduced to facilitate smoother and safer travel across the European Union.
A Ministry of Innovation official told the Financial Mirror that in just two days since the online platform was launched on 1 July, 100,000 people have obtained their EUDCC.
EU passengers flying within the bloc, including Cyprus must hold a COVID-19 digital green pass to be allowed entry into member states, said the Transport Ministry.
Countries have six weeks to fix glitches, allowing for paper documents to be used where issues persist.
The document will be valid for 12 months and are necessary for the movement within the 27-member bloc, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.
Cypriots can get an EUDCC following a user friendly fourstep procedure, provided they hold:
A vaccination certificate proving the holder’s vaccination scheme has been completed with the required number of doses and days, as determined by the Ministry of Health.
Only vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EEA) and Sputnik V or Sinopharm (BBIBP COVID19) vaccines are accepted.
A negative PCR – RT laboratory test certificate not older than 72 hours before the trip.
Holders of PCR laboratory test certificates, whether digital or not.
Passengers must also register on the electronic platform CyprusFlightPass.
Holders of a Green Pass will be able to digitally save their document onto an online mobile application which national health authorities will update with the holder’s details.
The application Wallet COVPASS, is pending approval from Google play and Apple.
It will scan a QR code on the EUDCC, which can then be scanned from a mobile phone every time a passenger walks through an entry or exit of an EU country.
The digital certificate can easily be obtained online, printed, or downloaded to an application.
There is a four-step process that begins by clicking on https://www.eudcc.gov.cy/.
Users enter their details and are guided through the process before being sent a digital document containing a QR code confirming their digital pass.
Presenting the digital pass that went live on Thursday, Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos and Deputy Minister of Innovation Kyriacos Kokkinos said Cyprus is ready to operate the system.
Despite minor glitches that are expected to occur due to misspelling of names at vaccination centres or punching in a wrong digit of a phone number, the process is user-friendly, said Kokkinos.
Holders should check to make sure their details appear correctly on the application, as their names might have been written differently at vaccination centres, or the spelling of their name on their ID card might differ from that of their passport.
“Even if one letter is misspelt, then there will be an issue at checkpoints,” said Kokkinos.
There is a six-week transitional period for member states to get things right and fix glitches.
Until then, printed documents will be accepted.
Cypriots who cannot obtain the digital pass can call the helpline 1474 or go to a Citizens Services Centre.
Some people vaccinated by their GP have told the Financial Mirror that they could not complete the online application form for the Green Pass.
The Citizens Services Centre said people are having issues, as some GPs have not updated the General Healthcare System’s database with their patients’ inoculation history.