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A COVID-19 PCR test for all inbound passengers, except citizens.is now required for all travellers arriving in Dubai before they leave their departure country, except for Dubai citizens who remain having to be tested on arrival in Dubai, as daily coronavirus cases jumped again in the UAE, to 3,939.

The report in Arabian Business says that on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health conducted 174,016 tests as it expanded the scope of testing, with 3,939 new cases of the coronavirus, 4,536 recoveries and 6 deaths due to complications.

The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai, headed by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, then announced updates to Dubai’s travel protocols for inbound passengers, effective from Sunday, 31 January.

Under the new rules, UAE residents, GCC citizens and visitors are required to have a PCR test prior to departure for Dubai irrespective of the country they are coming from.

The committee has also said that arrivals from certain countries (based on the pandemic situation in those countries) require an additional test on arrival in Dubai.

The report says that the rules though remain the same for UAE citizens returning home to the UAE, which exempt them from undergoing a PCR test prior to departure, regardless of the country they are coming from and they will only be required to conduct a PCR test on arrival in Dubai.

The committee also reduced the validity period of PCR tests from 96 hours to 72 hours.

In addition, Dubai airports will also offer rapid PCR tests for outgoing passengers who need a pre-travel test.

The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management said, “The updated travel protocols are part of a regular process of revising and optimising precautionary measures based on the latest local, regional and international developments, and “They are also aimed at enabling the city to continue serving as a global commercial hub and a bridge for travel and trade between the east and west.”

The UAE also continued with its mission to vaccinate the population as quickly as possible, with on Wednesday, 86,770 doses of the vaccine were administered, taking the total number of doses given to 2,764,445 with a rate of 27.95 doses per 100 people.

Health facilities also received updated rules on Wednesday, the main change being that all appointments must be booked in advance to avoid crowding in surgeries, with two-metre social distancing between patients in waiting areas.

An edited report from Arabian Business by John Alwyn-Jones