Cyprus will add 16 countries to its “coronavirus safe list” on April 1, in an attempt to kickstart its beleaguered tourism industry.
The Mediterranean island will reopen its borders to some of its biggest tourism markets, including the UAE, the UK, Russia, Israel, Ukraine, Lebanon, Egypt, Belarus, Serbia, the US and Qatar.
Visitors from these countries will not need special permission to enter the country and will not be required to quarantine upon arrival, as is currently the case, according to the island’s health ministry.
They will, however, need to present a negative PCR test, taken within 72 hours of arrival, and will be tested again for the virus upon entering the country. All tourists will need to comply with existing health protocols on the island, which include mandatory face mask-wearing and social distancing in public.
From Saturday, May 1, Cyprus will also start to welcome vaccinated British tourists with no entry restrictions. The UK is the island's largest tourism market, accounting for nearly four million arrivals in 2019. Russia is the island's second biggest tourism market, followed by Israel.
Tourism represents 15 per cent of Cyprus's GDP, and the industry has been hard hit by the pandemic. International arrivals dropped by 80 per cent in 2020, while earnings from this vital sector plummeted by 85 per cent.
The island has recorded 45,000 Covid-19 infection and 250 deaths, and has implemented two national lockdowns, but has fared relatively well compared to other EU nations.
In a study by the Australian independent think tank Lowy Institute released in January, Cyprus ranked fifth in a Covid Performance Index of almost 100 countries for its successful handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The biog
Name: Sarah Al Senaani
Age: 35
Martial status: Married with three children - aged 8, 6 and 2
Education: Masters of arts in cultural communication and tourism
Favourite movie: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Favourite hobbies: Art and horseback ridding
Occupation: Communication specialist at a government agency and the owner of Atelier
Favourite cuisine: Definitely Emirati - harees is my favourite dish
'Manmarziyaan' (Colour Yellow Productions, Phantom Films)
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal
Rating: 3.5/5
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Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
Last 10 winners of African Footballer of the Year
2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Types of policy
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Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
