Unvaccinated employees in five industries must take a PCR test every fortnight

New rule applies to anyone employed by hotels, restaurants, transportation companies, laundries, beauty salons and hairdressers

• 

  A man receives Covid-19 vaccine at the MBRU a community mobile health clinic near the Al Waha Community on Nad Al Hamar Road in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

• 

  Three-year-old Omar Al Mulla gets his saliva tested at the Biogenix lab at G42 in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

• 

  Healthcare workers get sprayed with disinfectants after conducting free PCR test in downtown Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

• 

  A sign asking customers to wear mask is seen in a tailor shop in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

• 

  A hand sanitizer is placed at the newly opened Al Zahia City Centre in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National

• 

  Seats are blocked inside the family cinema at Al Zahia City Centre in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National

• 

  Floor signage for social distancing is seen at the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

• 

  Pedestrians cross the street in Abu Dhabi on a hazy afternoon. Victor Besa / The National

• 

  Commuters get on a bus at Hamdan St. in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

• 

  A man wearing a face mask passes by a store in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

• 

  A stoke keeper arranges the flowers at a Hindu flower shop in Bur Dubai. Reem Mohammed / The National

• 

  Staff prepare filter coffee at the One Degree Café in Margham area in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

• 

  A woman walks on the beach on a hazy sandy day in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Unvaccinated employees working in five industries must take a PCR test every 14 days, under new rules.

The measure, which is effective as of March 28, applies to anyone employed by hotels, restaurants, transportation companies, laundries, beauty salons and hairdressers.

It is part of plans to “limit the spread of the virus, preserve the health of employees and keep work environments safe,” according to a briefing note issued by The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

The decision was made jointly with the National Emergency Crisis and Management Authority, it said.

All private sector companies operating in the UAE have been asked to encourage their employees to get vaccinated against the virus, said the note.

The news came as Abu Dhabi announced that employees in “vital sectors and service industries” must undergo a PCR test every two weeks.

They will be free of charge for those working in vital sectors and service industries.

The number of daily tests has grown in recent weeks as part of a strategy to control the spread of the virus.

Many employees are tested routinely and regularly, in some cases as often as every seven days in Abu Dhabi.

On Sunday, the UAE expanded its mass vaccination programme after prioritising vulnerable groups for six weeks. Authorities urged anyone still waiting for the vaccine to book appointments immediately.

Eligible citizens and residents aged 16 and above can now be inoculated free of charge at any of the 205 vaccination locations nationwide, the health ministry said.

Officials urged people to book in advance. However, vulnerable people without appointments will continue to receive priority at walk-in clinics.

Almost 76,000 doses of the vaccine were administered in a 24-hour period up to Monday, bringing the total number since the start of the campaign in December to more than 7.3 million.