Including restaurant staff, supermarket and mall workers…

Many of those with customer-facing jobs in Abu Dhabi, are well-used to requirements for periodical Covid-19 PCR testing. The leisure and tourism industry, for example, has had strict rules on the matter in place since the early months of 2020.

On January 1, 2021, the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) announced several new business types that would be following suit. Parallel to a firm stipulation that it must be the employers in these sectors covering the cost.

Tests must be conducted every 14 days, and they must be PCR tests (nasal swab), DPI tests are not admissible in this instance.

Details of the updated requirements were laid out in an ADDED circular to relevant businesses and comes into force from January 1o, 2021.

Who is being tested

On the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development’s list are: Workers in restaurants and cafes, supermarkets, grocers, bakeries, butcheries, fruit and vegetable and Retailers, and Malls.

Exemptions

Those that have received Covid-19 vaccinations are exempt from these new testing requirements.

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