Pics: UAE opens 13 additional drive-through Covid-19 testing facilities

Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) has opened 13 additional drive-through Covid-19 testing facilities in the emirate, it announced on Thursday.

That follows the first opening in Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi last week.

Seven drive-through testing centres have so far opened in Abu Dhabi, of which three are located in Abu Dhabi City, Al Wathba and Al Bahia. The Abu Dhabi centres are open between 8am to 8pm, from Sunday to Thursday.

Two out of the seven have been opened in Al Ain in the Asharj and Al Hili areas.

Each centre is capable of accommodating up to 600 individual bookings.

The two remaining Abu Dhabi centres have been opened in Ghayathi and near the Madinat Zayed Council in Al Dhafra. The two facilities will be operational all days of the week except for Fridays. The centres will operate between 8am to 12pm and 4pm to 8pm and are capable of testing up to 800 people a day.

Meanwhile two centres have been opened in Dubai – in Port Rashid and Al Khawaneej, while one centre has been opened in each of Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

Each of the seven centres are equipped to test 500 people a day, and are open from Sundays to Thursdays, from 10am to 6pm, a statement said.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is “closely overseeing the roll-out of the centres to ensure that UAE citizens and residents have access to testing facilities”, said Rashid Al Qubaisi, group deputy CEO, SEHA.

The new centres have been launched within 10 days by a team of 250 people who were divided into seven groups.

“All centres are equipped with the latest in testing systems and medical devices. There are 630 of the most experienced and qualified medical professionals from SEHA’s network, staffing the centres,” said Al Qubaisi.

“Together these factors have enabled SEHA to respond dynamically to the evolving situation of the outbreak, and efficiently containing it through regular testing, identifying affected individuals and subsequently providing the proper treatment needed to curb the spread of the the virus.

“Members of the community seeking to get tested at the the drive-through centres will be able to complete the test within five minutes. We have been able to test 7,000 people since the opening of the Zayed Sports City centre,” he said.

To book an appointment, citizens and residents can call the SEHA hotline at 800 1717 or alternatively use the SEHA smartphone app.

Users of the app and hotline will be asked to answer a few questions to help evaluate their condition, and subsequently given a timing for an appointment to get tested for the Covid-19 virus.

Priority will be given to individuals exhibiting symptoms of the virus, or those most vulnerable to the infection including pregnant women, the elderly, people of determination and those suffering from chronic illnesses.

For those looking for elective testing and for assurance of being cleared of the virus, the test is priced at Dhs370 and can be paid through the SEHA app. Callers of the hotline may also be directed to pay through the app.

The evaluation process takes on average two minutes to complete on the SEHA app and is available in English and Arabic.

Details needed to submit for an evaluation include the individual’s name, Emirates ID number, e-mail address, and contact number.

Users will also be able to choose an appointment timing and date that is convenient for their schedule. All appointments are confirmed via SMS on the user’s phone.