Commuters at the Abu Dhabi border to undergo new checks from 19th December

Drivers will undergo scans for signs of coronavirus

Starting Sunday, 19th December, commuters entering Abu Dhabi through the Abu Dhabi border will undergo checks. This is the latest effort to tackle and curb the spread of coronavirus.

Scanners will be introduced at all crossing points to spot signs of coronavirus. Drivers will be scanned by EDE devices as they cross the border, a common sight in the Abu Dhabi malls.

We are unsure if vehicles will be stopped, however police will be deployed there from Sunday. A free rapid antigen test will be given to those showing signs that might have the virus. The results will be out in 20 minutes.

Drivers are not required to show a negative PCR test to enter Abu Dhabi, which was the case between July 2020 and September 2021. EDE scanners use advanced technology to rapidly detect potential Covid-19 cases without storing personal information.

Abu Dhabi’s government said cases remain extremely low, with just 0.05 per cent of the thousands of people tested daily found to have the virus. Border checkpoint on the E11 highway, near the town of Ghantoot, at the Dubai – Abu Dhabi border, remains in place after checks were dropped in September.

The capital continues to use the ‘green pass’ system using the government’s Al Hosn test and trace app. People entering public places such as malls and public buildings show they are fully vaccinated and have had a recent negative PCR coronavirus test.