Watch: Proactive COVID-19 testing for Abu Dhabi residents across homes, neighbourhoods

Abu Dhabi: As part of its efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19, Abu Dhabi is continuing to regularly screen residents free of charge at their homes and neighbourhoods.

The proactive testing initiated by the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee, focuses on densely populated areas and also covers city suburbs on specific days.

Over the Eid break, teams were deployed at Khalifa City to conduct PCR tests for residents. Medical professionals operating from buses registered residents, then performed the nasal swabs as people continued to queue while maintaining social distance. In a separate area, certain groups of people were tested in their cars.

“We are here in Khalifa City to do COVID-19 testing for the public to protect the community’s health,” said Zayed Al Katheeri, a volunteer.

“Senior citizens, pregnant women and People of Determination [are] tested in their cars without needing to queue to protect their health and everybody else’s,” added another volunteer.

The entire process was also overseen by Abu Dhabi Police.

During Ramadan, mass screening was also carried out at Al Ain Industrial City, with up to 7,500 residents tested every day. In downtown Abu Dhabi, residents were tested in their own homes. And in Musaffah Industrial area, more than 20,000 people were screened with the support of Abu Dhabi Police and other volunteers.

As Gulf News reported last month, residents welcome the screening initiatives, and share locations of mass testing campaigns over social media groups in a bid to help one another avail of free COVID-19 testing.