In its bid to keep COVID-19 out from its shores, Cyprus has banned travelers with a recent history of visiting India.
The logic behind the step is to keep away and be safe from the B.1.617 variant – a new and deadlier variant of COVID-19 that originated in India and predominantly circulates there.
The rule, however, does not apply to those who are citizens and legal residents of the island nation.
Those belonging to this category need to undergo a PCR test and test negative for COVID-19 72 hours before arrival, and then get tested immediately upon arrival. Furthermore, they will have to stay in quarantine for 10 days, regardless of the result.
Aside from the original variant, the UK variant of COVID-19 currently predominated in Cyprus. The B.1.617 variant, however is slowly creeping in the population as well.
Over 40% of the country’s population has been administered the COVID-19 vaccine.
