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Visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai must show they have received a coronavirus vaccine or have had a recent PCR test to enter the site when it opens.
The expo delivery authority on Wednesday issued new Covid-19 guidelines for visitors to the event before its opening on October 1.
Visitors will be required to present proof of any vaccine recognised by their own national government or a negative PCR test taken within the previous 72 hours.
Non-vaccinated ticket-holders who have not been tested within the 72-hour period can test at the PCR testing facility adjacent to the Expo 2020 site.
Expo plans to make PCR testing free of charge to ticket-holders -the Expo 1-Day or Multi-Day Pass - at one of a network of testing centres across the city, which will be available on the Expo 2020 website.
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the largest global gathering since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
With more than 190 country pavilions, as well as themed exhibitions at the Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability pavilions, 200 dining venues and up to 60 shows a day, the eagerly-anticipated Expo 2020 Dubai is expected to attract more than 25 million visitors.
“By updating our vaccination and testing requirements, we are opening up a world of discovery and education for every visitor from every corner of the planet, enabling the world to experience Expo 2020’s incredible offering in a safe and secure manner,” said Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Co-operation and director general of Expo 2020.
“As we prepare to welcome tourists to the UAE and visitors to Expo 2020, we need to build on our successes in combating Covid-19, where we have seen a decline of nearly 84 per cent in cases in the past eight months.”
Ms Al Hashimy said Expo will continue to follow the guidance of the leading science and medical experts, “adjusting our measures as appropriate in our commitment to hosting an exceptional experience that all the world can enjoy".
“This enhanced measure is responsible, agile and necessary as we prepare to open our doors to the world,” she said.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai were named among the top five cities in the world for their response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nationwide, the UAE has administered almost 19 million vaccination doses and fully immunised 80 per cent of its population.
Dubai has seen a steady influx of visitors since it reopened to tourists in July 2020, and the emirate welcomed 2.85 million visitors in the first half of 2021, with numbers predicted to accelerate in the fourth quarter, boosted by Expo 2020 Dubai and the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.
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