ABU DHABI — The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday announced that COVID-19 test will be mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers, including Emiratis, residents, and tourists, arriving via the country"s airports, irrespective of the countries they are coming from. The decision to apply prior testing on all those coming to the country shall be applied as of Aug. 1 without impingement on the mandatory testing measures that travelers have to follow upon arrival at the country"s airports. According to a joint statement by the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation all passengers traveling through the country"s airports to the European Union countries and the United Kingdom, as well as other countries that require PCR test, have to get tested prior to boarding their respective planes. The announcement is in line with the country’s efforts to protect the health and safety of its citizens and residents and reduce the spread of coronavirus. Children under the age of 12 and those with severe and moderate disabilities will be exempted from the test requirement, which has 96 hours of validity from the date of testing. The authorities highlighted the necessity for all airlines operating in the UAE to comply with these requirements. — WAM