The United Kingdom, Lebanon, Qatar and Russia have come off Abu Dhabi’s green list that allows for quarantine-free travel into the emirate during the Covid-19 pandemic, state news agency WAM reported.
The UK has witnessed its own spike in cases as omicron spreads and has implemented new restrictions at home to quell the virus.
Algeria, Ireland and Morocco have been added to the list that will take effect from January 3. This update follows the last update at the end of December.
The omicron variant has brought renewed concerns globally as the pandemic continues to evolve. The highly vaccinated UAE has seen a dramatic uptick in daily case counts.
Abu Dhabi has also recently updated its Covid-19 precautions throughout the emirate, with a 14-day AlHosn green pass now required for entry to restaurants, shops, and other establishments. All those entering the United Arab Emirates’ capital from the land border with Dubai must present a negative PCR test within the last 14 days.
On Saturday, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) also reported 2,426 cases of Covid-19 in the country, the highest daily total for the UAE since early March. The figure comes less than a month since the UAE announced the first case of the highly transmittable omicrom variant of the virus.
As authorities move to stem the spread of Covid-19, the government has banned unvaccinated citizens from traveling, effective January 10.
The new rules also require Emiratis planning to travel to have received a booster dose of vaccine if they are eligible. The booster can be taken six months after an individual has received their second dose of vaccine.
In the announcement, NCEMA noted that individuals that are medically exempted from taking the vaccine or are traveling for medical and treatment purposes will still be permitted to travel if they are unvaccinated. The organisation also said that travel in humanitarian cases would be unaffected.
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