The United Arab Emirates capital has tightened entry restrictions as the country has watched its daily Covid-19 case counts rise due to the spread of the new omicron variant.

Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee has announced updated procedures to enter Abu Dhabi from within the UAE, effective Thursday, December 30.

Vaccinated individuals will be required to show green status on Alhosn app, while a negative PCR test result received within 96 hours will be required for those who are not vaccinated, according to the official statement.

In addition to the green pass and PCR tests,  EDE scanners will continue to be used at the capital’s borders to detect potential COVID-19 cases. People with potentially positive COVID-19 cases will be referred to an on-site testing centre and given a free antigen test, with results available within 20 minutes.