Al Ain hospital opens new Covid-19 drive-through testing centre

The mobile site will complement existing screening services at Al Wagan Hospital

A new drive-through Covid-19 testing centre has been launched at Al Wagan Hospital in Al Ain. Photo: Seha

A new drive-through Covid-19 testing centre has been set up at a hospital in Al Ain.

The mobile service will complement existing coronavirus screening services at Al Wagan Hospital.

The centre has been launched by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, more widely known as Seha.

PCR testing at the hospital is available from 8am to 8pm each day, with only drive-through services from 4pm to 8pm.

A robust testing strategy remains key to the UAE's fight against the pandemic. Testing levels across the country are still high ― typically exceeding 200,000 a day ― and reached a peak period in January when they topped 500,000.

About 181 million PCR tests have been conducted across the Emirates.

Rules mandating motorists to have green status on Al Hosn app — which requires a negative PCR test result — were lifted at the end of February.

UAE's Covid-19 screening strategy — in pictures

Global travel restrictions have also eased, meaning travellers to many destinations no longer need to present a negative test result before flying.

But the green pass system to access public places in Abu Dhabi remains in place.

Some Abu Dhabi pharmacies are now allowed to provide PCR tests, as well as vaccinations.

The Department of Health in Abu Dhabi said in June that the Sinopharm vaccine would be provided free of charge to those who are eligible and over the age of 18.

PCR tests will be offered at pharmacies for Dh40 ($10) under the programme, Abu Dhabi Media Office said, the same charge as for PCR tests at existing test centres in the emirate.

Pharmacies must first complete a course certified by the department to administer vaccinations.

Several drive-through centres have closed in recent months.

Al Shamkha centre shut at the end of June, while in March Seha announced that the mobile service at City Walk in Dubai would cease operations.

In January, Seha permanently closed its Covid-19 drive-through testing centre in Mina Rashid, Dubai.

In November, health chiefs shut the first mobile Covid-19 testing centre to be established in the UAE in 2020, when Covid-19 was spreading around the world.