The UAE will allow unvaccinated individuals to travel from April 19 if they present a negative PCR test result taken 48 hours before their departure, and fill out the Al Hosn app travel application to change their status to green, the Official Spokesman of the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority NCEMA Dr. Taher Al Ameri said during a media briefing on Wednesday.
However, unvaccinated individuals aged under 16 is exempt from presenting a negative PCR test result upon arrival, provided that they adhere to all relevant preventive measures.
The policy is aimed at achieving sustainable recovery and the return to normalcy to boost the economy.Â
“We urge the public to follow the required precautionary measures for all passengers before and after travel, and the current situation regarding the pandemic at their travel destinations, as well as contact the country’s diplomatic missions abroad in case of suspected infection, and use the Tawajudi service provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation,” he said.
The UAE has recently seen a significant decline in COVID-19 infections, Al Ameri said, noting that this was possible due to the inter-agency cooperation and the community.
Dr. Al Ameri also pointed out that the UAE is continuing to explore the best practices to address the pandemic, and is monitoring all local and international variants of COVID-19 to develop a proactive response plan that will create a new lifestyle based on widespread social awareness.
The UAE tops a list of countries, in terms of rate of fully vaccinated individuals against COVID-19 in countries with a population of over 1 million, in an index issued by the ”Our World In Data” website, he said.
“In the same index, the UAE ranked second globally in terms of number of tests per 1,000 people, and fourth in terms of the rate of vaccinated individuals per 100 people, as well as first in terms of rate of those who have received at least one vaccine dose,” he added.
Dr. Al Ameri stressed that the latest COVID-19 statistics confirm that the country has entered the recovery phase, and there is a steady decline in infections.