DHA begins free Covid-19 testing at new drive-through facility in Dubai

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) announced on Tuesday, April 7, that it had begun to offer free Covid-19 testing, available for both citizens and expats, at a new drive-through facility which is now open in Al Nasr Club.

The testing centre is open daily from 8am until 6.30pm and capable of conducting 250 tests a day and those who wish to get tested must pre-book an appointment before visiting the unit.

It will take five-minutes to conduct each test which includes a nasal swab taken while the person remains seated within their vehicle itself.

The results will be available within 48 hours after the sample has been submitted.

As part of intensified efforts to combat the coronavirus, the #Dubai Health Authority announces that it has opened a drive-through COVID-19 testing centre at the Al Nasr Club for the general public.https://t.co/qACQqYPn6I pic.twitter.com/Zx5ZA1uUSt

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) April 7, 2020

If a person tests positive, they are advised to strictly isolate themselves at home and avoid interactions with others. The DHA will contact them for further steps. If they are not contacted within 24 hours after receiving a positive result, they should call 800 DHA (800342), the authority said in a press statement carried by the Dubai Media Office.

The centre caters to senior citizens, pregnant women, people of determination, people with chronic diseases, and people with Covid-19 symptoms.

How to book an appointment:
– To book an appointment call DHA on 800DHA (800342). Once you are registered, you will receive a confirmation text message.

– Before leaving your home, you must register for permission to do so on dxbpermit.gov.ae/permits as per the directives of the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai. You will need to show the appointment confirmation text message sent by the DHA if stopped by the police. If flashed by a radar, the text message confirmation can be used as proof of a valid reason for leaving home.

– You should take personal precautionary measures including wearing face masks and gloves as well as ensuring that no more than three passengers are seated within the car.

– When you arrive at the drive-through centre, the text message and the person’s Emirates ID should be presented for the test to be conducted.

– Following verification, DHA medical personnel will approach the car to take a nasal swab in a procedure that lasts about five minutes.

– Results can be viewed within 48 hours of the test by downloading the DHA app and clicking ‘Lab Results’ under Patient Services’.

This new centre is one of three coronavirus testing facilities operated by the DHA in Dubai.

On March 29, the UAE opened its first Covid-19 drive-through testing unit, becoming only the fifth country in the world to feature such a centre, in Abu Dhabi.

Read: Video: UAE’s first drive-through Covid-19 testing unit

The following day, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, ordered the setting up of additional drive-through testing centres throughout the country over the next 10 days, including in Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

Read: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed orders drive-through Covid-19 testing centres across the UAE

On April 7, the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention announced 283 new Covid-19 cases, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 2,359. It also reported one death of an Asian man; the total death toll in the UAE is now 12. It added that another 19 people had recovered, taking the total number of recoveries from the disease in the country up to 186.