Coronavirus: Residents scamper for Covid-19 tests to enter Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi - Local authorities on Monday made a Covid-19 negative result mandatory for anyone to enter Abu Dhabi.

Several residents stuck outside Abu Dhabi hit Covid-19 testing centres on Tuesday in order to go back home.
Local authorities on Monday made a Covid-19 negative result mandatory for anyone to enter Abu Dhabi.
Ambrin Umer, a mother of four, is among the residents who is eager to go to Abu Dhabi. Following an unexpected series of events, her two kids are stuck in Abu Dhabi and the rest are with her in Sharjah. She headed out to a Covid-19 testing centre as soon as the online classes of her children got over.
"Since May, we planned to shift to Abu Dhabi as my husband Umer Farooq now works there. We finalised on a flat in Baniyas. But then shifting hasn't been as easy as we thought."
The family is among those who were unaware about the 8pm announcement made on May 31 regarding movement restrictions starting from June 2.
"While shifting, we followed social distancing norms and my husband and two kids went first from Sharjah to Abu Dhabi. Once they reached Abu Dhabi, we came to know that the movement restrictions came into effect from June 1 midnight. My 13-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son are now in Abu Dhabi. I am here with my sons aged six and 12. This test is a big reprieve to reunite my family."
Some residents said they are finding it difficult to pay for the test fee.
M. Salama, who is trying to return home to Abu Dhabi from Dubai, said she has been stuck for a month now. She said private hospitals charge between Dh300 to Dh600 for a PCR test.
Mohamed Yousef, a resident who works in Abu Dhabi but got stuck in Sharjah with his family, said: "A PCR test result will take 24 to 48 hours and then we have the next 48-hour window to enter Abu Dhabi. Two days may seem enough but everything, including my work hours, child's online classes, travel time, etc have to be taken into account from the time of receiving an SMS or app alert."
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com 

• Abu Dhabi