Booster shots mandatory for Abu Dhabi government employees to enter workplace

Beginning January 10, all employees of Abu Dhabi Government entities must be fully vaccinated and received their booster dose as well to be permitted entry to their workplace.

The decision was announced on Wednesday by the Department of Government Support, in coordination with Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee.

The decision applies to employees of all government entities. However, it is not applicable to employees with official medical exemptions.

The committee added that employees, service providers and contracted personnel must continue to adhere to previously introduced measures, including presenting a negative PCR test result every 7 days.

.@dgsabudhabi, in coordination with the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee, has approved the implementation of mandatory vaccination and booster doses for all employees of Abu Dhabi Government entities to enter the workplace, effective Monday, 10 January 2022. pic.twitter.com/SdXsCtZgZY

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) January 5, 2022

Visitors, customers and temporary employees of these government entities meanwhile are required to present a negative PCR test result received within 48 hours to enter the premises.

Abu Dhabi has over the last few weeks tightened its Covid-19 protocols. Starting December 30, vaccinated individuals who wish to enter Abu Dhabi from within the UAE require a green pass on their Alhosn app, while a negative PCR test result is required for unvaccinated individuals. The result of that negative test should not be older than 96 hours.

Read: Abu Dhabi updates entry rules for individuals from within the UAE

Additionally, EDE scanners have already been deployed at the entry points to the emirate.

Officials in the emirate also updated its green list of countries for inbound travel to the emirate from where passengers can travel directly to the emirate without having to quarantine on arrival. The UK, Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, Russia and Lebanon are among the countries which have been removed from the most recent green list which went into effect on January 3, where as Algeria, Morocco, Seychelles and Tunisia have been added to it.

Also, all private and public schools, colleges, universities, and training institutes in Abu Dhabi switched to remote learning for two weeks after having resumed classes for the new school term which began earlier this week.