Free Covid-19 tests for all hospitality staff in Ras Al Khaimah

All hospitality staff in Ras Al Khaimah are eligible for free Covid-19 PCR tests, officials in the emirate confirmed on Tuesday.

The announcement was made by the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) which has partnered with the National Crisis & Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) and Ras Al Khaimah Preventive Medicine Department (PMD) for this initiative.

“Our industry has been resilient in the face of challenging times, and we have unveiled a series of strategies, from the Tourism Support Initiatives to earning recognition as the first safe city worldwide and the first safe Emirate to be certified by Bureau Veritas and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), respectively. These measures ensure that our sector partners can continue to operate successfully as we enter the ‘new normal’,” said Raki Phillips, CEO of RAKTDA.

Read: Message from the top: Raki Phillips, CEO, RAK Tourism Development Authority

“Ongoing testing for hospitality staff is an important step in our efforts to reaffirm to our visitors that the Emirate has taken and continues to take extensive measures to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of guests and residents,” added Phillips.

Hospitality staff testing will be carried out across the 45 hotels in the emirate, as part of RAKTDA’s ‘Stay Safe’ Hotel Certification.

Meanwhile Mahra Mohammad Bin Sray, logistics support and field examination officer at Ras Al Khaimah Medical District added, “Conducting regular Covid-19 tests is a mandatory procedure to flatten the curve and control the number of cases nation-wide. With visitors returning to Ras Al Khaimah, we must ensure that all individuals working in the hospitality sectors are regularly tested and abide by the necessary precautionary measures.”

Read also: Ras Al Khaimah establishes guidelines for reopening of restaurants, cafés and gyms

Other emirates within the UAE have also undertaken measures to safeguard and boost their local tourism industries.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) said on Monday that it is mandatory for all tourism sector staff in Abu Dhabi to undergo regular Covid-19 testing.

Read more: Mandatory regular Covid-19 testing for all tourism sector employees in Abu Dhabi

While Abu Dhabi has launched the Go Safe certification programme, Dubai has launched a DUBAI ASSURED self-assessment programme to ensure that all tourism touchpoints within the respective emirates are safeguarded and protected against the virus.

Read: New ‘DUBAI ASSURED’ stamp to confirm health protocols at hotels, restaurants and tourist establishments