Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) on Tuesday revealed that passengers travelling from Uganda to Dubai will no longer need to undertake a second Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test within six hours prior to departure.
UCAA Manager of Public Affairs Vianney Luggya said the two tests have been so expensive and inconveniencing to travellers which in turn led to the reduction in numbers of passengers from Uganda to Dubai.
“UAE Authorities have updated their travel protocols and now require only one PCR test undertaken within 48 hours from a Ministry of Health approved lab. It comes with convenience for the passengers. Having to undertake two tests was also expensive and required that passengers had to be at the airport six hours before the flight to undertake the second test then wait. That time will now be saved so it is good news for passengers and air transport users. This was effective January 29, 2022,” Luggya said.
Previously, passengers travelling to Dubai from Uganda were supposed to undergo two Covid-19 PCR tests, one taken within 48 hours and the second one within 6 hours before departure from Entebbe International Airport.
According to the head of Port Health at Entebbe Airport l, Dr James Eyul, the departing passengers were paying about Shs250,000 for the second six-hour PCR test, depending on the laboratory as long as it was approved by the Ministry of Health.
The suspension of the second test comes at a time when the United Arab Emirates had just lifted the suspension on passenger flights from Uganda a month ago.
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