UAE government employees who have not been vaccinated must undergo a PCR test every two weeks starting January 17.
The new rule, announced by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources on Tuesday, applies to people who work at ministries and other federal entities. It is part of government efforts to limit the spread of the virus, preserve the health of employees and keep workplaces safe.
The 14-day testing rule also applies to employees of outsourced and public services companies who are employed on a full-time basis. Employees from advisory and expert services companies that deal with government bodies on a one-off basis will need to present a negative PCR test result no more than three days old, state news agency Wam reported.
Unvaccinated government workers will be expected to pay for the tests themselves unless they can present a medical report exempting them from taking the vaccine due to an illness or other health condition. In those cases, the employer must bear the cost of testing.
The vaccine is available free of charge at government health centres across the country, and at many private hospitals.
Federal ministries are to encourage their employees to be inoculated, especially those with chronic diseases or are approaching old age.
