Sharjah issues new guidelines for travellers, residents can now return without prior approval

Sharjah has announced a series of Covid-19 precautionary measures that all travellers will have to adhere to when visiting the emirate.

The measures, revealed by the Sharjah Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Management Committee, come even as the emirate is stepping up the normalisation of activities across various sectors, official news agency WAM reported.

All citizens and residents are now permitted to travel through the ports of Sharjah to or from any destination in accordance with the procedures of respective countries of origin, officials said.

However, those travelling out must assess the Covid-19 situation of the visiting countries.

Both tourists and residents must ensure that they have adequate health insurance that covers all costs of treatment and isolation, the report stated.

UAE citizens must also notify the country’s embassies in case they develop any Covid-19 symptoms while abroad.

Visitors

All visitors to Sharjah must have a negative Covid-19 test report, conducted not more than 96 hours earlier, before arriving at the emirate’s ports.

Visitors will also have to fill a health disclosure and hand it over to the competent authorities at arrival. They are required to disclose all medical symptoms and underlying conditions.

They will have to undergo another test for the virus once they arrive, regardless of the earlier negative report.

They must subject themselves to self-quarantine at their residence until the results of their Covid-19 test arrive.

In case the result is positive, they will have to undergo medical isolation for 14 days, with the traveller or the sponsor bearing the expenses of treatment and isolation.

In the event of non-compliance with quarantine restrictions, they will be liable to strict legal action and penalties, officials stated.

Residents

Expats residing in Sharjah who have a resident visa issued in the emirate are now allowed to return to the emirate without the need to obtain prior approvals.

However, it is mandatory for them to present a negative Covid-19 PCR test result, taken not more than 96 hours before the date of travel. They will have to undergo another PCR test upon arrival. If tested positive, expenses will have to be borne by the resident or his/her sponsor.

All the travel guidelines and procedures will be updated and reviewed from time to time, officials added.

The UAE reported 1,083 new cases of the coronavirus on September 23, its highest daily increase in new infections since the contagion was first reported in the country.

The new cases were detected as a consequence of 103,199 tests conducted by local health authorities to screen for the virus.

Read: Covid-19 update: UAE reports 1,083 cases, highest daily rise since the outbreak