After Abu Dhabi launched drive-in test centres for covid-19 testing, Dubai has now followed suit. Dubai has now opened yet another Covid testing centre in Al Nasr. The centre allows free Covid testing for nationals and expats. and is open daily from 8am to 6.30pm. The five-minute test is FREE and does not even require you to get out of your car. However, those interested in getting tested must register with the Dubai Health Authority.
The centre also tests for senior citizens; pregnant women; people of determination; people with chronic diseases; and people with COVID-19 symptoms and can allocate up to 250 tests a day.
هيئة الصحة في #دبي تطلق خدمة الفحص من المركبة للكشف عن فيروس كورونا المستجد، وذلك في مركز نادي النصر بدبي الذي أطلقته الهيئة ضمن ثلاثة مراكز متخصصة أفردتها الهيئة لهذا الغرض، تعزيزاً للإجراءات الوقائية والاحترازية الهادفة لتقديم خدمات صحية آمنة وسريعة.https://t.co/rsdyQx9M3V pic.twitter.com/mAaRJ7ngNC
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) April 7, 2020
Meanwhile, Al Futtaim Health has opened a drive-through Covid-19 testing station in Dubai. We also hear five more centres are set to open soon. The new station and the first one in Dubai is opened at Festival City. The centre does between 100 and 200 tests for Al Futtaim Group employees and eligible residents.
Dr Haidar Al Yousuf, managing director of Al Futtaim Health, said: “The other five centres at our Health Hub clinics in Al Qusais, Discovery Garden, Silicon Oasis, Al Warqa and International City will be functional very soon.”
Residents who wish to get tested must complete the online self-assessment on the HealthHub website. The eligibility will then be assessed and services will be prioritized for those who need them the most. Five more new centres are set to open at Al Qusais, Discovery Garden, Silicon Oasis, Al Warqa and International City. The group has also converted some of its buildings into self-isolation and quarantine centres.
Who Can Take The Test?
- Anyone who has symptoms
- Anyone who came in contact with an infected person
- Anyone who has a travel history
- Pregnant women, people above the age of 65, or those with comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, cardio vascular diseases, or those with a compromised immune system such as cancer and a history of taking immune-suppressants and severe acute respiratory illness.