From December 5…

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has announced a reduction on the Alhosn Green Pass window of validity following a negative PCR test.

For those fully vaccinated (which requires those who were vaccinated with Sinopharm to have a third booster jab after six months), you were given an Green Pass for a period of 30 days following a negative PCR test.

But as of Sunday, December 5 — that Green Pass duration has been cut to 14 days. There has been no specified update to those with active, medically endorsed exemptions in the Alhosn app, which means the Green Pass active window will likely stay at the current seven days.

The Alhosn Green Pass is currently essential for accessing almost all public spaces in Abu Dhabi including malls, hotels, gyms, restaurants, shops and beaches. The only exceptions at the moment extend to some supermarkets and pharmacies.

This is of course a preemptive move in order to mitigate any potential of increased risk from new variants, and with the events season reaching a climax and the UAE reporting its first case of the Omicron mutation, preemptive measures make the most sense.

Event updates

Earlier in the week, we reported on Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi (DCT — Abu Dhabi) mandated changes to the rules and requirements for events.

For indoor events, this included, but was not limited to

  • Event capacities must not exceed 80 per cent of maximum for site.
  • Tourists can now enter the event with a negative PCR test obtained within 48 hours. Green Pass not required.

For outdoor events

  • An active Green Pass, EDE scanning and facemasks remain mandatory
  • However, no requirement for PCR testing or caps on capacity has been specified.

As of December 2, 2021 — no changes have been advised to this policy.

Images: Getty