Abu Dhabi reduces Covid-19 close contact home quarantine period for unvaccinated people

People not immunised must self-isolate for 10 days following close contact with a positive Covid-19 case, down from 12 days

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  Abu Dhabi residents are inoculated at the screening and vaccine centre on the Corniche. A nationwide testing and inoculation campaign is credited with driving down cases. All photos: Victor Besa / The National

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  Staff and nurses from the Abu Dhabi public hospital group Seha urged the public to protect themselves from Covid-19 by signing up to be vaccinated.

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  Motorists queue for PCR tests at Seha's testing and vaccination centre on Abu Dhabi's Corniche.

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  Mass testing and a successful vaccination campaign has helped the UAE to tackle the pandemic.

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  Drivers wait at a centre that provides both PCR nasal swab tests and coronavirus vaccine doses.

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  Shenaz Abdul Salam, 13, gives a thumbs up as he waits to receive his first vaccine dose.

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  A staff nurse fills in a vaccination form for a driver at the Corniche centre.

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  Mariam Al Badi, an Emirati nurse working at Seha's drive-through vaccine centre, has urged everyone to get inoculated against Covid-19.

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  Ms Al Badi goes through the vaccination process with a driver.

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  Cars queue at the drive-through testing and vaccination centre on Abu Dhabi's Corniche.

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  More than 80 per cent of the UAE population has been vaccinated and the government is urging those who have not to sign up.

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  An Abu Dhabi resident gives the thumbs up after signing up for vaccination.

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  Authorities have made the vaccines free for everyone.

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  A medical worker checks papers as Abu Dhabi residents sign up for the Covid-19 vaccine.

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  The drive-through Covid-19 testing and inoculation centre has proved popular with Abu Dhabi residents.

Abu Dhabi on Saturday reduced the home quarantine period for unvaccinated people who come into close contact with a positive Covid-19 case from 12 days to 10.

The revised measures announced by Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee will come into effect from Sunday.

Under the ruling, those not inoculated must quarantine for 10 days and take a PCR test on day nine while wearing a tracking wristband.

If the PCR test result is negative, they can remove the wristband and end quarantine on day 10.

The rules for vaccinated people remain the same as previously outlined in July.

Anyone vaccinated must quarantine for seven days and take a PCR test on day six. If the PCR test result is negative, they can remove the tracker device on day seven.

Those registered in the home quarantine programme can conduct a free walk-in PCR test and remove the wristband at SEHA Prime Assessment Centres at Zayed Port (Abu Dhabi City), Al Ain Convention Centre and Madinat Zayed in Al Dhafra, as well as all SEHA hospitals in Al Dhafra.

Authorities announced the new directives shortly after confirming updated travel protocols for tourists arriving in the capital.

Under the new rules, issued by the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee on Saturday, vaccinated travellers arriving in the capital from green list countries do not need to quarantine.

They must take a PCR test on arrival and are subject to a further test on the sixth day.

The ruling now includes visitors, having previously only covered Emiratis and residents returning from abroad.