Dubai: The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai, headed by His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, approved amendments to travel protocols on Wednesday, which will take effect from next Sunday (January 31) to ensure the safety of travellers.
Pre-travel PCR test for all
As part of the revised protocols, UAE residents, GCC citizens, and visitors are required to do a PCR test prior to departure for Dubai irrespective of the country they are coming from. The Committee also mandated that arrivals from certain countries (based on the pandemic situation in those countries) require an additional test on arrival in Dubai.
The Committee reduced the validity period of required pre-travel PCR tests from 96 hours (4 days) to 72 hours (3 days).
Exemptions
Protocols will remain the same for UAE citizens returning to the country from overseas, which exempt them from undergoing a PCR test prior to departure, regardless of the country they are coming from. They will only be required to conduct a PCR test on arrival in Dubai.
Tests at Dubai Airports for departures
The Committe directed the Dubai Airports Company to provide Rapid PCR or Rapid Antigen testing at the airports, in co-operation with relevant authorities, to facilitate travel procedures for passengers departing from Dubai to countries that require this type of pre-travel test, in accordance with the time-frame specified.
On-arrival test results and quarantine
Visitors and residents arriving in Dubai can download the Al Hosn app to be updated about their on-arrival COVID-19 tests. It is required that passengers should quarantine themselves until the test result comes in and is negative.
In case of a positive result, the person should go into self-quarantine and home isolation for 10 days, whether symptomatic or not. The Dubai Health Authority has also released guidelines for such quarantine for both the COVID-19 patient and his or her family who live in the same house.
After the 10-day period, the isolation can be ended without a negative result, DHA added in an earlier announcement. You are deemed to have completed isolation after 10 days with improved symptoms and no fever for at least three days with no fever reduction medications. However, you will receive an ‘End of quarantine’ certificate from DHA after the isolation is completed.
