The Republic of Cyprus aims at the controlled and gradual repatriation of its citizens and its repatriation plan is similar to those implemented by many other countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told CNA following a new decree issued on Wednesday by the Minister of Health.
The MFA noted that according to the decree the categories of people that can be repatriated from abroad cover all Cypriot citizens living permanently in the Republic, their spouses living permanently in the Republic, as well as persons that are entitled to enter to the Republic under the Vienna Convention.
The basic criteria for the smooth implementation of the plan for the repatriation of all those included in the above categories, to the extent that this is possible under the circumstances, is from now on the preferred period of repatriation stated by each entitled citizen on the platform of the Foreign Ministry www.connect2cy.gov.cy  the MFA told CNA.
According to the MFA, within this framework, the personal data of citizens registered on the platform are being forwarded to the Working Group of the Ministry of Transportm made up among others, of competent officers of the Ministry of Transport, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and Hermes Airports, that operates Larnaca and Paphos International Airports in order to proceed with the grouping of all those who have expressed interest for repatriation based on the country and the region where they are abroad, with a view to charter flights by each airport, as and when this is possible by the number of passengers in each region. Grouping also aims at minimizing the distance which every citizen must cover in order to reach an airport from which it will fly to Cyprus.
Communication with the entitled citizens who have shown interest for repatriation began on Thursday and will continue by the air carrier that will operate each flight.
According to the Minister of Health’s decree all those repatriated will stay for 14 days in quarantine facilities designated by the Republic, except from persons who need medical surveillance and have the option instead of being quarantined to be self-isolated for 14 days, with the approval of the Health Ministry. Everyone arriving at the Republic must undertake a coronavirus test based on the relevant medical protocol.
With a view to facilitate the planning that is under way and is being reviewed every day on the basis of the developments, the Foreign Ministry calls an all those being repatriated to update immediately their profile on the connect2cy platform, registering Cyprus as their place of residence.
(Cyprus News Agency)
