There will be a mandatory coronavirus test upon arrival and a 14-day quarantine, and then another test before release from the quarantine.
Dubai’s flagship airline Emirates on Thursday said stringent restrictions will remain in place for residents coming to the UAE from nine destinations that it will be flying back from starting May 21.
These measures have been put in place as part of precautionary and safety steps in order to contain the spread of coronavirus from people arriving from overseas.
The carrier said there will be a mandatory coronavirus test for passengers upon arrival by Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and a 14-day mandatory quarantine as well, while the travellers will undergo another mandatory test before their release from the quarantine facility.
According to the DHA, around 14 hotels are being managed by the private healthcare sector as isolation and quarantine facilities in the emirate, while four hotels are managed by the authority.
On Wednesday, Emirates announced its plan to operate scheduled flight services from May 21 to nine destinations – London, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Chicago, Toronto, Sydney and Melbourne. The airline will also offer connections in Dubai for customers travelling between the UK and Australia.
The airlines asked passengers to bring their own face mask, hand gloves and abide by social distancing rules. They will need to bring the approval letter from Ministry of Foreign Affairs allowing them to return to the UAE.
“Covid-19 flight and travel restrictions remain in place across many countries around the world. We are closely monitoring the situation as it evolves, and we hope to resume services as soon as conditions allow. This includes receiving government approvals, the easing of travel restrictions, and commercial demand,” it said.
The International Air Transport Association on Wednesday opposed quarantining passengers on arrival and suggested that safety measures such as temperature checkups must be in place at departing airport. It believes that quarantining passengers will slow recovery of international travel.
