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Qatar updates Covid-19 PCR testing rules for inbound citizens and residents

Vaccinated citizens and residents are not required to conduct a pre-departure PCR test before travelling to Qatar, provided that the country they are departing from is not on the red list

by Varun Godinho

February 25, 2022

Incoming vaccinated Qatari citizens and residents are not required to conduct a pre-departure PCR test before travelling, provided that the country they are departing from is not on Qatar’s red list, the country’s Ministry of Public Health has said.

However, both citizens and residents – irrespective of whether they are vaccinated or not – must take a PCR test 48 hours prior to departure from countries which are on Qatar’s red list.

The latest directive will come into effect from Monday, February 28, at 7pm local Qatar time. There are nine countries which are currently on Qatar’s red list: Bangladesh, Egypt, Georgia, India, Jordan, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka.

MOPH announces updates to its COVID-19 travel and return policy. #QNA https://t.co/w31akKV82V pic.twitter.com/ytJuRx1YKy

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) February 24, 2022

Furthermore, Qatar has scrapped the previous green, red, and exceptional red country list classifications, and instead simplified it to include only two categories – the red list, and the standard list on which are all non-red list countries will be included.

The ministry added that the new Travel and Return Policy rules have been designed to facilitate travel between Qatar and foreign countries and comes as the number of Covid-19 cases continues to fall in the country as a result of Qatar’s National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme.

As of February 24, 6276851 doses of the vaccine have been administered in Qatar. The total number of booster doses administered stands at 1190528.

As of Thursday, there were 4,922 active Covid-19 cases in the country, with 288 fresh cases reported over the previous 24 hours. The ministry also added that 55 cases were recorded among travellers over the previous 24 hours.

There have been a total of 3,365,934 tests conducted to screen for the virus since the start of the pandemic in Qatar, with 21,250 tests conducted over the previous 24 hour period. There have also been a total of 664 deaths overall, with no deaths reported over the previous 24 hour period.