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

Regular Covid-19 testing has now been made mandatory for all tourism sector staff in Abu Dhabi, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) said on Monday.

“The regular testing of staff provides another layer of safety for the community, helping to uplift the confidence of consumers and further activate the tourism sector in the capital,” said Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, executive director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi.

“We are working closely with all relevant authorities to ensure the successful implementation and ongoing management of this initiative. This, along with our Go Safe certification programme and the outstanding work being done by our government, will pave the way for a safe haven in the midst of this global pandemic.”

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has mandated regular COVID-19 testing for all tourism sector staff #InAbuDhabi. In line with the Go Safe Certification Programme, and following the recent launch of the #RediscoverAbuDhabi campaign pic.twitter.com/m7MvrKkEJO

— Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (@dctabudhabi) July 27, 2020

The Go Safe Certification Programme launched last month by DCT Abu Dhabi is designed to implement necessary safety precautions at tourist sites across the emirate.

Abu Dhabi’s Go Safe certification meanwhile will cover malls, theme parks, restaurants and public spaces too.

Read: Abu Dhabi launches Covid-19 self-assessment safety certification for hotels, tourist destinations

The self-assessments that are required by way of this programme will be verified through on-site inspections conducted by dedicated teams to ensure that the stringent health and safety conditions are met.

Among DCT Abu Dhabi’s efforts to ensure the health and safety compliance of its members in the emirate, its inspectors have been deployed to check 165 hotels and 450 restaurants and conducted over 700 inspections over a period of one month, confirmed a statement by the tourism body.

It has also developed and distributed a checklist of 107 checkpoints which are in line with the recommendations of the Department of Health.

It has also initiated a Rediscover Abu Dhabi campaign aimed at encouraging residents to book staycations and visit or re-visit tourism attractions across the UAE capital.

Last month, it even issued a set of guidelines that would govern the reopening of museums and other cultural sites which included mandating that these institutions will not be permitted to operate at more than 40 per cent of their capacity.

Abu Dhabi’s neighbouring emirate Dubai has also launched its own equivalent of the Go Safe programme called DUBAI ASSURED.

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

The ‘DUBAI ASSURED’ stamp, is issued free of charge, and is valid for 15 days. It can be renewed every two weeks upon further verification by inspectors. It too will cover all key tourism facilities in Dubai.