CAIRO – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will suspend travelers from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Namibia from entering the nation on national and foreign flights, effective 23:59 p.m. on Monday, June 21, state news agency WAM reported on Saturday, citing a statement by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
The GCAA mentioned the restrictions would also include transit passengers, excluding transit flights traveling to the UAE and bound for those nations.
Cargo flights between those nations and the UAE will continue, as usual, the statement added.
It mentioned the restrictions have been being introduced to restrict the spread of COVID-19.
The GCAA added that exemptions to its decision include: UAE nationals, their first-degree relatives, diplomatic missions, official delegations, business jets – after getting prior approvals – and golden and silver residency permit holders, in addition to those who work essential jobs.
Those who are exempted will still take a PCR test at the airport and enter a mandatory 10-day quarantine.
Individually, Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management mentioned on Saturday it would allow travelers from South Africa, who’ve received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine, to enter Dubai starting from June 23, WAM mentioned.
Travelers from India, who’ve valid residence visas and have received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine, will also be allowed within the emirate.
However, passengers traveling to Dubai from India are required to undergo a rapid PCR test four hours prior to departure. They must undergo another RT-PCR test on arrival in Dubai.
Meanwhile, travelers from Nigeria should only show a negative PCR test taken 48 hours prior to departure and will also bear another PCR test on arrival in Dubai, WAM added.
