COVID-19: UAE public sector employees must get PCR tests every 14 days
Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News
Dubai: All employees working in the federal departments and ministries will now have to do a PCR test every 14 days at their own expense as of January 17, 2021, it was announced on Tuesday.
The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources today issued a circular to all federal ministries and entities introducing new COVID-19 measures that aim to address the pandemic at the level of the federal government, reduce its repercussions, and safeguard the health of employees.
The circular urged all federal authorities to take several COVID-19 measures, concerning their employees, employees of outsourcing and public services companies, as well as employees of consulting services and expertise houses with which they are contracted.
As for measures meant for employees of ministries and federal departments, the circular stipulated that they must get a negative PCR test every 14 days at the employee’s own expense.
However, employees who have taken the COVID-19 vaccine, and those who have obtained a report or a medical certificate approved by the official health authorities in the country indicating that they cannot receive the “COVID-19” vaccine due to their health or illness condition are exempted, provided that the federal government entity undertakes to conduct a PCR test for them every 14 days.
Meanwhile, employees of outsourcing companies, public services companies and the like, which are contracted with by federal government entities now or in the future, they must conduct a nasal swab test / PCR / every two weeks at the expense of their companies. This covers only employees who are present or will be present on a daily basis in the workplace of the federal entity. Employees who took the COVID-19 vaccine are excluded from this measure.
The circular also covers employees of consulting firms, expert houses and the like, in the event of being contracted with by the federal entities, especially if their employees are required to be present at the workplace of the entity to attend meetings, discussions and other tasks according to the contract. The federal government entity then must ensure that those employees have a valid PCR test for period of nor more than 3 days. Employees who received the COVID-19 vaccine are exempted.
The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources urged all ministries and federal authorities to encourage their employees and workers to go for the vaccine, saying that the Ministry of Health and Prevention has made COVID-19 vaccine available free of charge at all health centers affiliated with the ministry across all emirates as well as health centers belonging to the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi, in addition to a number of private hospitals.
