ANKARA

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Greek Cypriot administration will begin requiring people on both sides to submit negative PCR tests before crossing the border as of Monday.  

"The Technical Committee on Health has continuously assessed the epidemiological situation" based on the agreement between TRNC's President Ersin Tatar and Greek Cypriot administration leader Nicos Anastasiades to synchronize the two sides' respective COVID-19 measures concerning crossings, the UN peacekeeping mission in Cyprus said on Thursday in a written statement. 

"They have also exchanged data on a bi-weekly basis in order to determine the appropriate epidemiological level to be applied at the crossing points, adjusting measures, as appropriate," it went on to say.

According to the assessment of the committee, the level of restrictions on crossings between the two sides has risen from the Level 2 orange category to the Level 3 red category.

Under the Level 3 rules, fully vaccinated travelers who received the Sinovac, Sinopharm, or Sputnik vaccines or vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will be able to cross 14 days after they got their second doses, along with a PCR or rapid antigen test done within the last seven days.

The same rules will apply for people who got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Unvaccinated people will be able to cross the border after showing their PCR or rapid antigen tests done within the last 72 hours, or within seven days for unvaccinated high school students and those residing in the Kato Pyrgos area.