Covid-19 testing halted in several Dubai malls as public sent to dedicated centres

Government-run screening booths Dubai Mall, Nakheel Mall and Mirdif City Centre closed on Tuesday

Medical staff speak to drivers before they take a prick of blood from their finger that can rapidly be scanned for signs of the virus. All photos by Leslie Pableo for The National

Police direct a long line of vehicles waiting for the rapid test at the Dubai-Abu Dhabi border

Many commuters are expected to use the quick Dh50 to enter Abu Dhabi instead of undergoing a PCR nasal swab test, which costs about Dh150 in a private clinic

A medic takes a drop of blood from a commuter

A medic takes a drop of blood from a commuter

Medical staff use a laser scanning technique called DPI to look for signs that the body has generated antibodies to fight off a virus

Medical staff use a laser scanning technique called DPI to look for signs that the body has generated antibodies to fight off a virus

A medic takes a drop of blood from a commuter

Eighteen stations can handle 36 vehicles at any one time. The process takes several minutes to show a result

Although the DPI test does not specifically look for Covid-19, it quickly identifies whether someone may be ill

Drivers line up to be tested on Al Faya Road just off the E11 highway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi

The company that runs the service for the government said it should save drivers time and money

Drivers line up to be tested on Al Faya Road just off the E11 highway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Dubai Health Authority halted testing in several major malls on Tuesday and urged the public to visit dedicated screening centres instead.

PCR testing stations in Dubai Mall, Nakheel Mall, Mirdif City Centre as well as Al Hamriya Port Majlis and Al Shabab Al-Ahli football club have now closed.

The DHA also announced it had stopped taking appointments for Covid-19 PCR testing at Al Barsha Health Centre from Wednesday, February 3.

Walk-in testing services are still available at Deira City Centre and at the Mall of the Emirates.

Appointments must be booked to get tested at DHA facilities in Al Rashidiya Majlis, Jumeirah 1 Port Majlis and Al Nasr Club, as well as in private hospitals.

As the focus shifts towards a national vaccination programme, fewer clinics will offer PCR tests without prior appointment to cope with the anticipated demand for vaccination.

In the private sector, Mediclinic Middle East hospitals and clinics continue to provide up to 6,000 PCR tests a day at facilities across the country.

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More than 23.7 million PCR and DPI tests have been carried out during the pandemic.

The UAE government launched a national vaccination campaign in December.

More than two million vaccine doses have been given to Emiratis and residents since the start of a campaign.

The UAE authorised use of the Sinopharm vaccine, which is available nationwide. In Dubai, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is also available to prioritised groups.

The Sinopharm vaccine is available to anyone over the age of 16 at more than 152 centres nationwide.

It is available at all clinics run by Abu Dhabi's public health operator, Seha; at Ministry of Health and Prevention centres; and at several private hospitals across the country, as well as in some majlis.

Health centres that come under the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention accept walk-ins. But appointments are needed for vaccination centres and drive-through centres operated by the Seha public hospital operator.

Residents can book appointments on the Seha app. Appointments are also needed to get vaccinated at private hospitals in the country.