Colour-coded criteria introduced for visitors from different countries

PEOPLE travelling from certain countries who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or have had the disease can now enter North Cyprus without quarantine.

The colour code system was introduced on Thursday and will be updated every week, the Health Ministry said. The current country list, which is published on the Health Ministry’s website, is valid until Thursday, June 10.

Countries have been divided up into “Dark Red”, “Red”, “Orange”, “Yellow”, “Green” and “Grey” categories. The UK and Turkey are both in the “Orange” category.

According to the Communicable Diseases High Committee criteria, there are no travel restrictions on people coming from a “Green” list country – currently Greenland, Malta, Singapore, Israel, New Zealand and Australia – if they have been fully vaccinated or had Covid-19 in the past. Others from Green countries can still enter without quarantine on the condition they provide a negative PCR test from up to 72 hours before travel. The rules for the other colour codes are as follows:

● Yellow: People who are vaccinated or have had the disease will need to provide a negative PCR result taken 72 hours before travel and will be able to enter without quarantine. Those who are not vaccinated will need to have a negative PCR result taken 72 hours before travel and will have to quarantine for seven days.

● Orange: Those who are vaccinated or have had the disease will present a negative PCR result taken 72 hours before their trip and will be able to enter without quarantine. Those who are not vaccinated will need to have a negative PCR result taken 72 hours before the trip and will remain in quarantine for 10 days.

● Red: Regardless of whether or not they are vaccinated, it will be possible to enter the country with a negative PCR result taken 72 hours before the trip and a 10-day quarantine condition.

● Dark Red: People who have travelled to countries in the Dark Red category in the last 14 days are not allowed to enter the country. TRNC citizens will be able to enter the country with a negative PCR test result within the last 72 hours and 14 days of quarantine.

● Grey: Entry is subject to special permission, by individual application. Applications must be made in writing to kktcgribasvuru@gmail.com.

To be regarded as fully vaccinated, at least 14 days must have passed since the last dose, up to a maximum period of six months. People who have had the disease must submit a positive PCR test result from between 30 to 180 days before travel.

The Covid-19 vaccines accepted are: Sinovac Biotech, two doses; Sinopharm, two doses; Vaxzevria (Astrazeneca/Oxford), two doses; Covid-19 Vaccine Janssen/Johnson and Johnson, one dose; Sputnik V, two doses; and Moderna, two doses.

Passengers will be evaluated based on the highest risk group country they have “set foot in/been in” in the last 14 days.

Meanwhile the government announced that as of Monday, June 7, the daily night-time curfew will be in place from midnight to 5am, with restaurants, cafes and other eateries allowed to stay open until 11.30pm. Markets will be allowed to open between 7am and 11pm. Cinemas, indoor children’s play areas and games halls, and casinos have been allowed to reopen.