Abu Dhabi instructs commercial entities to test all workers for COVID-19 every two weeks

Abu Dhabi: Owners of commercial entities in the emirate of Abu Dhabi must test all employees for COVID-19 every 14 days, and bear the cost of testing, the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has announced.

In a statement on social media, the ADDED said it has issued a circular to this effect, and that the testing guidelines will come into effect on January 10, 2021. They apply to all commercial establishments licensed as restaurants, cafés, supermarkets, groceries, bakeries, butchers, vegetable and fruit retailers, malls, and commercial centres.

“These directions are in line with the COVID-19 preventive measures issued by the respective authorities in Abu Dhabi, and [they] aim to create a safe and healthy environment while limiting the effects of the pandemic,” the ADDED said.

The two-week requirement for COVID-19 testing however excludes workers who have received the COVID-19 vaccine that is now available free of charge at health centres in the emirate.