Denmark lifts ban on flights from UAE, as Emirates extends South Africa suspension

Service was halted when passenger found to have South African coronavirus strain

People queue for the vaccine near DIFC. The city has approved Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinopharm and Oxfrd-AstraZeneca for use, and officials hope to have half the population vaccinated by late March. AFP

Abu Dhabi has vaccinated at least 60 per cent of teachers and school staff, many during a week-long vaccine drive in late January. Courtesy: Adek

A man receives a dose of a vaccine against Covid-19 at St Paul’s Church in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

A vaccine is administered at Bareen International Hospital in Mohamed Bin Zayed City, Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: Bareen hospital

Abu Dhabi has vaccinated at least 60 per cent of teachers and school staff, many during a week-long vaccine drive in late January. Courtesy: Adek

Airport personnel unload a coronavirus vaccine shipment at Dubai International Airport on February 1, 2021. AFP

An Emirates Airlines Boeing 777 unloads a coronavirus vaccine shipment at Dubai International Airport on February 1, 2021. The airline is part of the Vaccine Logistics Alliance, which includes also logistics giant DP World. Karim Sahib / AFP

People wait to enter a vaccination centre at Dubai's financial district on January 24, 2021. AFP

People queue for the vaccine near DIFC. The city has approved Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinopharm and Oxfrd-AstraZeneca for use, and officials hope to have half the population vaccinated by late March. AFP

A teacher gives a thumbs up as he receives the Sinopharm vaccine in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: Department of Education and Knowledge

A placard informs the public of the location of a designated Covid-19 vaccination centre in Dubai's financial centre district. AFP 

People in Dubai queue for a vaccine on January 24, 2021. AFP

Denmark will end a ban on inbound flights from the UAE on Sunday.

Services from Dubai to Copenhagen were suspended on January 21.

The UAE Embassy in Denmark reiterated strict rules that passengers must follow.

“All passengers must present a negative Covid-test no older than 24 hours before boarding a flight to Denmark,” it said on Twitter on Saturday.

“Upon arrival they are required to be tested and subsequently isolated for 10 days. The new rules will take effect from February 7 to February 28, 2021.”

The need to produce the results of a negative PCR test taken within 24 hours is among the strictest in place today.

Last month, Denmark’s Transport Minister Benny Engelbrecht said at least one citizen brought the South African variant of the virus back from Dubai, which led to the suspension of flights.

He said the decision was made to allow authorities to “be absolutely sure there are no problems” with the route.

In other developments, Emirates extended a ban on flights to South Africa, where a more virulent strain was found in December.

The suspension was due to end on February 12 but will now remain in effect until February 28.

“Emirates remains committed to serving our customers in South Africa, and we look forward to resuming passenger services when conditions allow,” the airline said on its website.

A study by Chinese researchers last week found the most widely used vaccine in the UAE, by Sinopharm, is less effective against the South African variant than the original strain but does still offer protection.