Requests put forward last week by the Turkish Cypriot side in the framework of the bicommunal Technical Committee on Health are under consideration and a reply will be given to Turkish Cypriots soon, a source has told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA).
According to the same source, the requests that have been forwarded to the Health Ministry of the Republic concern the EU Digital COVID Certificates issued by the Republic for Turkish Cypriots, as well as crossings to the government – controlled areas of the Republic.
A virtual meeting of the Committee is scheduled to take place on September 17, however a meeting could be arranged earlier, or answers could be sent in writing, the source noted.
As regards the EU Digital COVID Certificate, the Turkish Cypriot request concerns those who cannot apply for a Certificate since they do not have a Cypriot ID.
With regard to the crossings to the government-controlled areas of the Republic, their request is that those who are vaccinated against COVID-19 will not need to show a negative result of an antigen rapid test, as is the case now.
The bicommunal Technical Committee on Health announced in July that rules on crossings between the government controlled areas and the Turkish occupied areas in Cyprus change due to the deterioration of the epidemiological situation in Cyprus, and that it was justified to invoke the emergency mechanism and move to level 3 (dark red).
According to the rules for level 3 fully vaccinated person with EMA approved vaccines as well as the Sinovac, Sinopharm or Sputnik vaccines, may cross with a 7-day negative rapid test or PCR test, as of 14 days after their final shot (1st shot if Johnson& Johnson).
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory.