In a bid to encourage touristm this summer, the government of Cyprus is pledging to pay for accommodation, medicine and food for any tourist and their family who tested positive for COVID-19 after travelling to the island.
According to AFAR.com, the government stated in a five-page letter publicised on Tuesday that a tourist testing positive after his return from the island would only pay the costs “of their airport transfer and their repatriation flight.”
As part of the measures announced a 100-bed hospital will be set up for foreign travellers who test positive for the virus. There will also be 112 intensive units in place with 200 respirators for critically-ill patients. A 500-room “quarantine hotel” will be set aside for family members and friends of patients.
International air travel to Cyprus is set to resume on 9 June and has been restricted to arrivals from 19 countries. Visitors will have needed to have undergone a Covid-19 test three days before date of departure for Cyprus. The measure will be lifted for 13 of those countries on 20 June.
Travellers will have to show their test certificates before boarding their aircraft to Cyprus and their temperature will be taken on arrival. Random tests will also be taken at no cost to the traveller.
The arrivals will also have to fill out a COVID-19 Traveller Declaration revealing their travels 14 days before their arrival in Cyprus . They will also need to declare that they have not shown any symptoms 72 hours before departure and that they have not been in contact with people infected with the virus over the same time frame.
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There will be constant evaluation of infection rates before tourists from more countries are included.
The island nation recorded some of lowest number of cases of COVID-19 in Europe with 939 people testing positively and 17 deaths.
Tourism provided 15 percent of GDP last year and is a vital component of Cyprus’ economy.