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Dubai’s DHA reduces price of Covid-19 PCR tests to Dhs250

The DHA says that it is doing so to make testing more accessible to the public and encourage proactive medical examinations

by Varun Godinho

September 13, 2020

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) said on Sunday that it will lower the price of laboratory Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests from Dhs370 to Dhs250 within the emirate.

In a statement carried by Dubai Media Office, the DHA said that the decision to do so was to make testing more accessible to the public and encourage proactive medical examinations.

.@DHA_Dubai announces the reduction of the cost of COVID-19 PCR test to AED250. DHA aims to make the test more accessible to the public & encourage proactive medical examinations as a precautionary and preventive measure. #Dubai https://t.co/ll8GkbWZwQ pic.twitter.com/awMnsNi6eZ

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) September 13, 2020

Last week, the Abu Dhabi Health Services (SEHA) too reduced the prices for Covid-19 PCR tests to Dhs250 across all its centres. The new pricing applies to all of SEHA’s drive-through testing centres across the country.

Read: Abu Dhabi’s SEHA reduces cost of Covid PCR test to Dhs250

Some airlines have also offered special rates for the PCR tests that must be undertaken before flying out of the UAE. Dubai airline flydubai has partnered with Aster DM Healthcare to offer passengers Covid-19 PCR tests at a special rate of Dhs180.

The offer is available for flydubai passengers travelling from Dubai, with testing services available at 28 Aster hospitals and clinics across Dubai and the northern emirates.

On September 13, the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention confirmed that 640 Covid-19 cases and 468 recoveries were registered over the preceding 24 hours.

The new cases were detected as a result of 84,642 tests carried out by UAE health authorities to screen for the virus.

According to an updated list of fines issued by UAE authorities, a fine of Dhs1,000 applies to those retaking a Covid-19 test within a fortnight without a valid reason.

Read: UAE issues updated list of fines for offenders of Covid-19 safety measures