In a latest development on the travel restrictions, United Arab Emirates (UAE) has now decided to grant travel visas to Pakistani passport holders who have not been to the country in the last 14 days.
This offer, however, is conditional on the fact that all flyers who arrive in UAE will be required to undergo a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test on the day of arrival and nine days after that as well.
The Polymerase Chain Reaction test for COVID-19 is a test used to diagnosis people who are currently infected with SARS-CoV-2, which is the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The PCR test is the “gold standard” test for diagnosing COVID-19 because it’s the most accurate and reliable test.
From August 22, Etihad Airways will be able to accept passengers travelling to Abu Dhabi from Pakistani airports of Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.
Previously these flights were only open to transit passengers.
Details here: https://t.co/gdeBLoV5a5 pic.twitter.com/yjsgxt84Os
— Pakistan Aviation News 🇵🇰 (@avpak3) August 21, 2021
Pakistan has set up laboratories at all its international airports to conduct rapid PCR tests for UAE-bound passengers.
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“Rapid PCR test has begun for flights to Abu Dhabi and Sharjah and passengers are carrying the reports. It’s available at international airports in Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Multan, and Sialkot. Importantly, all the labs are also located within the premises of these airports,” said Sohail Nazar, country manager for UAE at Airblue, Pakistan’s largest private carrier.
Passengers have been asked to arrive at an international airport six hours prior to the departure in a bid to undergo the rapid PCR test.
Presently, only UAE citizens and transit passengers are allowed to fly to the UAE, due to the coronavirus outbreak.
UAE has said that it will accept passengers from Pakistani airports of Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. Earlier, only transit passengers were allowed for stay in UAE.
This facility has also been extended for India, Nepal, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Uganda.
The Indian airline IndiGo has been banned from operating flights in UAE for a week. The ban was imposed after many passengers did not undergo the mandatory RT-PCR test at the departure airport.
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IndiGo has confirmed the development saying that due to operational issues, all IndiGo flights to UAE stand cancelled till August 24, 2021.