From June 1, the authorities of the Republic of Cyprus have lifted the last sanitary restrictions for air passengers arriving in the country, abolishing the requirement for them to present both tests for the absence of coronavirus and vaccination certificates.

“No passenger arriving in the Republic of Cyprus, regardless of their country of origin, is required to present a certificate of vaccinations, PCR tests or rapid tests,” the Cypriot Ministry of Health said in an explanation to the decision of the Cabinet, which was adopted on 27 May,  TASS News Agency informs.

In addition, from June 1, it is no longer mandatory to wear a protective mask indoors on the island, with the exception of the so-called high-risk areas, which include medical facilities, nursing homes, places for vulnerable groups and public transport. Masks are also recommended to be used in crowded places for those who themselves belong to vulnerable groups of the population, or who are in contact with high-risk groups.

From today, it is also allowed to visit patients in public and private hospitals in Cyprus with a total number of no more than two guests per day, while they will have to enter the medical facility separately from each other. In addition, guests must have a negative 3-day molecular test or a 48-hour rapid antigen test on hand. In special cases, the number of visitors may be increased with the permission of the hospital administration.

According to the island’s statistics service, 534,000 tourists visited Cyprus between January and April this year, which is almost 10 times higher than in 2021, during which the country was under severe restrictions due to the pandemic. However, among the air passengers who arrived in Cyprus this year, there are unusually few citizens of the Russian Federation. This is due to the fact that Russian aircraft currently do not fly to the island due to the sanctions policy of the European Union towards the Russian Federation, adopted in response to the events taking place in Ukraine.