Coronavirus: Abu Dhabi updates border rules

Vaccinated people must show Al Hosn green pass and those who are not must present a negative PCR test

The Abu Dhabi border post on the E11. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Abu Dhabi has updated the rules for entry into the emirate from the rest of the UAE.

Vaccinated people coming into Abu Dhabi from Thursday must show Al Hosn green pass, while those who have not been vaccinated must show a negative PCR test "received within 96 hours".

Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee announced the new rules on Tuesday, which apply in conjunction with the use of EDE scanners that aim to limit the spread of Covid-19 and protect public health.

The scanners were introduced on December 19 to identify anyone who may have Covid-19.

Motorists stop at the checkpoint near Ghantoot and officers use a mobile phone application to detect signs of fever.

Anyone found to have signs of the virus is sent for a free antigen test with the results ready in 20 minutes.

The reintroduction of the controls on that date meant a partial return to the border checks that were in place between July 2020 and September 2021.

Covid-19 case numbers, meanwhile, have been rising in the UAE during December.

The UAE recorded 1,846 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cumulative infections to 754,911.

Less than 50 daily cases were being recorded in early December.

But authorities have stepped up testing and introduced new rules to protect public health.

Abu Dhabi has limited social events such as wedding ceremonies, funerals and family gatherings to 60 per cent capacity.