Denmark bars flights from UAE over 'Covid testing irregularities'

Denmark has temporarily banned flights from the UAE after a whistleblower's report about testing procedures in the Gulf state.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab Staff

22 January, 2021

The UAE flight ban came into effect from January 22 [Getty]

Denmark has banned incoming flights from the United Arab Emirates over concerns that coronavirus testing in Dubai may be unreliable, Denmark's transport ministry announced.

The ban came into effect on January 22 and will be in place for an initial phase of five days, the ministry said in a statement.

“We have previously seen mutations come in via Dubai and we cannot ignore a suspicion like this,” he added.

Current rules require air travellers to Denmark to provide a negative Covid-19 test taken no more than 24 hours before boarding. The special measures implemented for the UAE follow a report from a whistleblower to the transport ministry.

“There was a specific and serious report filed by a citizen in relation to how tests are conducted at entrances in Dubai and we must therefore ensure there are no problems with this,” Engelbrecht said.

“It is no use us having Danes or others who fly from Dubai who might be positive or infected with Covid-19 or maybe a mutation like the South African one,” he added.

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