Abu Dhabi to impose tougher Covid rules for unvaccinated

Abu Dhabi is to bring in new Covid rules from next Tuesday that will require less frequent testing to access public places for those who have been fully vaccinated.

All residents of the largest of the seven emirates that make up the UAE have been provided with a colour-coded app detailing their testing and vaccination history.

From next week, only those with "green" status will be allowed entry to shopping malls and large supermarkets, gyms, hotels, parks, beaches and swimming pools, entertainment venues, cinemas, museums, and restaurants and cafes, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said. 

People who have been fully inoculated will maintain their "green" status for 30 days after their last negative PCR test, while those who have not been vaccinated will maintain it for just three days.

The United Arab Emirates, which has mounted an intensive Covid vaccination campaign, warned in April that those who remained unvaccinated would face restrictions on their movement. 

Last month, Dubai announced it would allow people to attend sports events and concerts if they have been inoculated. 

In total, the UAE has recorded more than 589,000 cases of Covid-19, 1,710 of them fatal.