Some school pupils in the UAE who have been unable to obtain negative PCR results in time for Sunday can return to school a day late, the UAE’s public schools regulator has announced.
On Friday, the Emirates Schools Establishment sent out a notice advising parents not to send their children to school without the required negative results.
The announcement was made as testing centres across the Emirates experienced high volumes of traffic ahead of the back-to-school rush.
“Due to the high traffic at Covid-19 testing centres, and coinciding with the start of the academic year on Sunday August 29, the Emirates Schools Establishment announces to its students, who may not be able to obtain a negative PCR test result to return to school on Sunday, that they are allowed to return to school on Monday August 30, provided that they have a negative PCR test result," the Emirates Schools Establishment said on Twitter.
As per the new return to classroom rules across the country, pupils of all ages in some emirates, including Abu Dhabi and Ajman, must present PCR tests to their school ahead of the first day of term. Tests must be taken no more than 96 hours before entering the campus.
In Abu Dhabi, the rule applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated pupils. Tests will have to be retaken every 14 days in the first month of term.
In Dubai and Sharjah, the cities' dedicated education regulators said no pupils are required to be vaccinated to return to school and regular testing is not mandatory.
