KOCHI: The Cochin International Airport (CIAL) has set up a Rapid PCR testing facility for passengers visiting the UAE following an advisory by the Dubai Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management that a COVID-negative certificate obtained before 48 hours of the journey is mandatory to travel to the Gulf country.
A press communique released on June 19, announcing an update on Dubai’s travel protocol by the Dubai Supreme Committee, mandated a Rapid PCR negative certificate for passengers travelling from India to Dubai. It stated that passengers must have a Rapid PCR negative certificate taken within 48 hours before departure.
However, the updated protocol instructed that passengers to Dubai from India must take a Rapid PCR test within four hours before the flight departure. CIAL has installed the facility in collaboration with Sandor Medicaid Pvt. Ltd, selected by Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd for the Rapid PCR tests.
The facility has the capacity to test 200 persons in one hour. The result will be available in 30 minutes. Further details on this new testing system will be announced by the authorities concerned. CIAL has also kept ready the facility for doing antigen tests on other passengers travelling abroad if the need arises.
As per the Dubai travel protocol, even after taking a normal RT-PCR and Rapid PCR, the passenger has to undergo a PCR test on arrival at Dubai Airport and should observe institutional quarantine until they receive their test results, which are expected within 24 hours. Outbound passengers from India should have received two doses of a vaccine approved by UAE authorities.
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