Visitors from Turkey must have two Covid-19 tests upon arrival in North Cyprus

All visitors arriving the TRNC from Turkey will have to present two coronavirus tests starting July 1.

According to the report on Thursday, ‘Prime minister’ Ersin Tatar said they had decided that travellers from Turkey would have to present a negative PCR test done within 72 hours before departure and would also undergo a second test upon arrival.

We have the capability to do this, Tatar said.

He said this was the decision of the ‘cabinet’ although when they convened on Tuesday there was no announcement on the matter.

The government are concerned about arrivals from Turkey, considered by the EU a high-risk country as regards Covid-19. 

The cabinet decided to move Turkey from category A to category B of the list of safe countries. The move was prompted by a recent spike in the number of coronavirus cases in Turkey.

According to this decision, all passengers arriving from Turkey as of July 1 will need to provide two PCR tests meaning they will have to present a negative PCR test that is valid for 72 hours upon arrival to the country followed by a second test to be carried out at their point of entry to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

The Ministers also decided that the Ministry of Public Works and Communication and the Ministry of Health will collaborate and will be authorised to regulate or to limit the number of passengers that are arriving from air and seaports to the country.

Initially, all passengers arriving from Turkey on July 1 were only required to present a negative PCR test without having to enter quarantine.

The virus has seemingly been eradicated in the TRNC with no new cases identified in the past two months or so.