Fans attending the World Cup in Qatar will need to test negative for Covid-19, regardless of their vaccination status, organizers said in a statement on Thursday.
All visitors aged six and older will need to present a negative result of a PCR test performed within 48 hours of departure or a rapid antigen test performed within 24 hours of arrival, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said.
Rapid antigen test results will only be accepted if they come from official medical centers and not self-administered. No further testing will be needed in Qatar if visitors do not develop symptoms of Covid-19.
Visitors aged 18 and over will also need to download a government-run contact tracing app called Ehteraz.
“A green Ehteraz status (showing that the user does not have a confirmed case of Covid-19) is required to enter any enclosed public space,” the statement added.
Fans will have to wear masks on public transport, but vaccination is not mandatory for the unprecedented influx of 1.2 million visitors expected between November 20 and December 18.
“Anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 while in Qatar will be required to self-isolate in accordance with Ministry of Public Health guidelines,” the statement said.
Qatar has recorded more than 440,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 692 deaths from the virus, according to data from the Ministry of Public Health.
The country has a population of 2.8 million, of which only 380,000 are citizens of Qatar. A total of 7,487,616 vaccine doses have been given so far, according to the data.
I am Terrance Carlson, author at News Bulletin 247. I mostly cover technology news and I have been working in this field for a long time. I have a lot of experience and I am highly knowledgeable in this area. I am a very reliable source of information and I always make sure to provide accurate news to my readers.
