No rapid PCR tests for passengers from India, Pakistan travelling to Dubai and Sharjah

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The UAE-based airlines on Tuesday abolished the requirement of pre-departure rapid PCR tests at airports for passengers travelling to Dubai and Sharjah from India, Pakistan and some other countries, according to circulars issued by the airlines.

Sharjah-based budget airline Air Arabia on its website said that passengers arriving from India, Pakistan, Kenya, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Egypt and Uganda are no longer required to conduct Rapid PCR tests at the airport of origin 6 hours prior to departure.

However, passengers including UAE nationals are required to take COVID-19 PCR test, conducted within 48 hours of the flight arrival time. Passengers will go through another PCR test at the arriving airport.

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The information posted on the flydubai website also exempts passengers travelling from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka from taking the rapid PCR tests.

The fresh advisory requires travellers to produce a negative COVID-19 test certificate taken up to 48 hours before the scheduled departure of the flight, from an approved health service provider.

The passengers will be required to undergo a PCR test upon their arrival in Dubai, according to reports. Meanwhile, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced that it conducted 470,793 additional COVID-19 tests and detected 626 new coronavirus cases.

MoHAP also announced one death due to COVID-19 complications. MoHAP also noted that an additional 1,994 individuals had fully recovered from COVID-19.

The Ministry also announced that 17,035 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the past 24 hours. The total number of doses provided up to today stands at 24,046,491 with a rate of vaccine distribution of 243.13 doses per 100 people.