Emirates airline pioneers rapid coronavirus testing for passengers

Emirates Airways, in coordination with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), has become the first airline to conduct rapid screening tests for COVID-19 on passengers on its flights.

Emirates began the process for the first time this week on a flight operated between Dubai and Tunisia, as confirmed by the airline in an official statement. Passengers were required to take a serological test, with a blood sample, at the check-in area of Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport. And in just 10 minutes, the results of the test were available.

Adel al-Redha, Emirates' Director of Operations, spoke of the successful procedure: "The testing process has been carried out without any problems. We are working on plans to expand testing capacity in the future and extend it to other flights. This will allow us to conduct more tests and provide immediate confirmation for Emirates passengers travelling to countries that require COVID-19 test certificates.
 

In addition to these analyses, the airline has also modified the check-in and boarding operations by applying the required social distancing. To this end, protective barriers have been installed at each check-in counter while all employees at Dubai airport are provided with gloves, masks and hand sanitizing gel. In addition, passengers are required to wear their own masks both at the airport and on board the aircraft.

Meanwhile, on April 6, the other major airline in the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways, announced the implementation of new technology at Abu Dhabi airport later this month to detect symptoms in passengers.

The company said the system is being developed by an Australian company and will be installed at automated service counters and will check the temperature, heart rate and breathing rhythm of passengers.

All of this is part of the great task that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is carrying out in the fight against the harsh coronavirus pandemic that is affecting the world and has already left tens of thousands of dead and millions affected around the planet. 
 

Within the framework of the significant effort made by the Emirates in the fight against COVID-19, we must also highlight a large hospital centre set up by the Emirate authorities in the spacious premises of the World Trade Centre in Dubai, which has been converted into the largest hospital in the Middle East. 

Up to 3,000 beds, including 800 for intensive care patients, have been prepared at this site, according to engineer Ali Abdulqader.
 

This initiative is yet another in the efforts to increase the number of admissions to deal with the potential increase in coronavirus patients.

After the final touches, the infrastructure is now available to hundreds of doctors and nurses who are working in Dubai to combat COVID-19. 

A gradual increase in the number of beds will be available from Thursday, rising to 3,000 if necessary. 
 

The steps followed in the development of the World Trade Centre are similar to those of the ExCel exhibition centre in London, which the UAE authorities loaned to the British National Health Service (NHS) for its transformation into a 4,000-bed hospital, renamed the NHS Nightingale. 

The facility, owned by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company (ADNEC), was refurbished in the space of two weeks, with the help of the British Army. 

It should also be remembered that the Emirate owners of Manchester City also lent the Etihad Stadium facilities for use as a health centre attached to the NHS for the training of medical and nursing staff at their facilities in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. 

In the Emirates, medical staff in both public and private hospitals are on the front line of tackling the coronavirus outbreak. Authorities are confident that the country will improve in three to four weeks thanks to the home-arrest order that helps limit the number of new cases and also thanks to the massive testing that identifies carriers of the virus. 

The UAE leads the world in coronavirus testing. With a view to safeguarding the health of the population, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention announced that coronavirus testing will be stepped up. According to spokeswoman Farida al-Hosani, the aim is to extend diagnostic testing to include all UAE citizens in order to achieve a "major boost to our successful efforts to contain all infected cases, significantly reduce infections and curb the virus.
 

The Middle Eastern country also takes the lead in the region in COVID-19 testing of foreign workers working in the nation, unlike the poor working conditions suffered by migrants in neighbouring Qatar, as reported by media outlets such as Foreign Policy. 

The Emirates is already among the world leaders in per capita coronavirus testing. More than 13,020 tests per million people have been carried out in the Gulf country.