Emirates airline suspends travel from more African countries as Covid-19 precaution

Airline says passengers on direct and transit flights will be prohibited from landing in Dubai until further notice

Emirates airline has suspended entry for passengers from eight destinations in Africa. Reuters

Emirates on Tuesday suspended the entry of travellers from several African destinations until further notice.

The airline said passengers on direct and transit flights from Angola and Guinea will not be permitted to travel to Dubai from December 28.

Six other African countries are also on this list from this date and they are Kenya; Tanzania; Uganda; Ghana; Ivory Coast and Ethiopia.

Outbound passenger operations from Dubai to these destinations remain unaffected.

Emirates offered advice to people affected by the new rules.

"Affected customers do not need to call us immediately for rebooking. Customers can simply hold on to their Emirates ticket and when flights resume, get in touch with their travel agent or booking office to make new travel plans," Emirates said.

"Emirates regrets any inconvenience caused.

"In order to receive the latest updates on their flights, customers are also advised to ensure that their contact details are updated by visiting Manage Your Booking."

The move is the latest restriction on global travel aimed at limiting the spread of Covid-19, particularly in light of the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Covid-19 screening at Dubai Airport - in pictures

Lab staff working in the sample preparation room at Dubai Airport (DXB). All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

Close to Terminal 2, the laboratory is a dedicated centre for around-the-clock processing of RT-PCR test samples collected from passengers at DXB.

Lab staff working in Dubai Airport's in-house lab for processing Covid-19 PCR tests.

One of the world’s busiest airports now has one of the world’s biggest in-house Covid-19 testing laboratories.

The laboratory reduces waiting times for passengers arriving by making sure their PCR test results are delivered in only four to six hours.

Before the lab opened in June, the passengers’ samples were collected from the airport every 12 hours.

Now samples are collected every 30 minutes and transported to the in-house facility operated by Pure Health.

Carlo Kaabar, medical director of Mohap Laboratories, at Dubai Airport's in-house PCR lab.

After a batch of samples is received, the staff first check their integrity and verify the passengers’ details using barcodes.

Dubai Airport's in-house lab for processing Covid-19 PCR tests.

If passengers test positive, they need to undergo isolation and follow the Dubai Health Authority guidelines.

Lab staff scanning the barcode of a Covid-19 PCR sample.

The UAE on Thursday had suspended the entry of passengers from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Nigeria.

The ban came into force from 7.30am on Christmas Day.