Price of Covid-19 PCR tests capped in Abu Dhabi, UAE

If healthcare providers charge more than AED65 for a test, they will be fined and barred from providing the service

Abu Dhabi has capped the costs of Covid-19 PCR tests at all healthcare facilities across the emirate at AED65 (US$18).

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) has called on healthcare facilities to abide by the new directive and added that the fixed price for the PCR tests is applicable to both regular and urgent services.

The DoH stated that if healthcare providers fail to comply with this directive, they will be fined and barred from administering PCR tests.

The DoH reiterated that the cost of the PCR test is to be covered by the individuals if they don’t have any symptoms. In other cases, the cost is to be covered by government-funded programmes.

FOR MORE NEWS YOU CAN USE, SIGN UP FOR CONNECTING TRAVEL’S WEEKLY BULLETIN

The emirate has also been trialling alternative scanning methods. In June, Abu Dhabi approved the use of EDE scanners to detect Covid-19 infections, and rolled them out across select public locations on Yas Island, and at entry and exit points in the Musaffah area.

The scanners can detect a possible Covid-19 infection by measuring electromagnetic waves, which change when the RNA particles of the virus are present in the person’s body. If the scanner identifies a person as being potentially infected with Covid-19, they must follow the approved protocol and take a PCR test within 24 hours.