UAE 29 March 2020: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, opened a mobile drive-thru Covid-19 test center for all community members as UAE steps up measures to contain the virus outbreak.
On arrival, Sheikh Mohamed received an in-car radio welcome voice note from Seha requesting him to prepare his ID card and to stay put until reaching the registration point where the ID was digitally scanned. In the following stoppage point, a nasal swap was collected from Sheikh Mohamed.
The facility, situated in Sheikh Zayed Sports City, has been launched by Abu Dhabi Health Services, Co. (Seha) in collaboration with the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi. The opening was attended by H.H. Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office and Member of the Executive Council.
Sheikh Mohamed was shown around the test facility and got firsthand experience of its advanced equipment. He spoke to the centre’s service squad and got briefed by Sheikh Abdulla Bin Mohamed Al Hamed, Member of the Executive Council, Chairman of the Department of Health, on the measures followed by the centre, where all necessary inspections take around 5 minutes.
The centre operates from 8 am to 8 pm every week-day and provides services to around 600 people per day, with priority given to senior citizens, pregnant women and people with chronic diseases.
“The UAE, under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, attaches paramount importance to human wellbeing and sets public safety and health on top of our priorities,” Sheikh Mohamed said.
“We will continue taking all precautionary measures that ensure safety and protection of our citizens, residents and visitors. And since the onset of the corona crisis, we have been proactive to take all measures conducive to ensuring our social, economic and medical security in order to survive the current situation and contain its impact and repercussions.”
Sheikh Mohamed hailed the efforts made by various sectors and institutions in the country under the current trying circumstances, specially, he said, “the country’s first line of defence against Covid-19, namely our medical and nursing teams and all those belonging to the health sector in the country,”
“We reiterate our thanks and appreciation to your sincere efforts in serving the UAE society and ensuring safety of your people,” he said, addressing the country’s health sector’s personnel.
The opening was attended by Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Undersecretary of the Court of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and a number of officials.
Results on app in 5 minutes
(DoH) Abu Dhabi and Seha said UAE citizens and residents can be tested within five minutes, with results being delivered through SMS and the Seha app.
Through this initiative, the UAE has become the fifth nation in the world to implement a drive-through service, accelerating testing times for the nation’s population.
The new service will be offered for Thiqa and non-Thiqa card holders, ensuring that testing facilities are available to everyone. With a maximum of four people being tested at one time, the new system is an extension of the UAE’s commitment to ensure availability of Covid-19 testing for all.
As part of the process, patients will need to book an appointment through Estijaba 8001717. People will need to participate in a pre-assessment screening, where they would need to answer questions related to their condition. Following the pre-screening, people who are considered to have contracted the virus and those who are most vulnerable, such as the elderly, pregnant women or people with chronic diseases will be prioritized. The test will be free for these individuals. For the wider community who prefer to do the examination for reassurance only, the testing procedure will cost Dh370.
German tourists repatriated from RAK Airport
Hundreds of German tourists were repatriated on March 28 from Ras Al Khaimah International Airport after being stranded in the UAE for a week due to the current global crisis.
A total 329 passengers, most of whom are German nationals, departed from the airport on two flights today, in a joint effort by the UAE Government, the German Embassy in the UAE and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, which was chosen as the departure point due to its readiness to screen all passengers quickly and efficiently.
The first of two flights to Frankfurt Airport departed at 1pm local time and the second at 2pm, both under the supervision of German Consul-General Holger Mahnicke.
The other nationalities on-board the flights consisted of one Romanian, two Turks, three Poles, one Kosovan and one Croat.
Tests on China evacuees at EHC return negative
All laboratory tests conducted on individuals from sisterly and friendly countries of the UAE, who were evacuated from China to the Emirates Humanitarian City (EHC), have returned negative for coronavirus, Covid-19, and they are ”symptom-free”, affirmed Dr. Faisal Al Ahbabi, Head of Communicable Diseases Program at Abu Dhabi Centre for Public Health.
”Four tests have been conducted on 215 individuals during the 14-day quarantine, the average incubation period of the Covid-19 virus, and all results came back negative,” Dr. Al Ahbabi, who is also the spokesperson for the EHC, told the Emirates News Agency, Wam.
A total of 1,013 laboratory tests had been conducted – 860 on the UAE guests and 153 for the medical teams and workers at the EHC, he said.
The 16 highly-trained medical teams and communicable disease experts at the EHC had made significant efforts to provide round-the-clock medical care to the evacuees during the quarantine period, setting a shining model for the national humanitarian work, dedication and giving, he added. On-site medical teams are conducting all necessary tests and health care procedures to ensure the overall well-being of the individuals.
The Emirates Humanitarian City has been set up as per the highest standards to facilitate high-quality care for individuals admitted while ensuring their privacy and dignity. Entertainment facilities – both indoor and outdoor – are provided for evacuees. Medicines, food and produce, and other essential items will also be provided.
Two special fully-serviced and manned preventative health centres – one for males and another for females – were established as per quarantine guidelines set by the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the World Health Organisation recommendations to take care of the individuals under a 14-day quarantine.
Dr. Saif Al Dhaheri, representative of the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, NCEMA, assured families of the evacuees that they were receiving world-class healthcare as guests of the UAE.
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