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Gulf News this morning:

http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Health/10335287.html


Abu Dhabi: Expatriates who are working in the UAE and are on vacation abroad will have to produce a medical certificate that proves they are not infected with H1N1 virus before returning to the country.

The move will be implemented from August.

A source from the National Committee for Combating Swine Flu also said that instructions have been issued to all airports, sea ports and land border points to quarantine any person suspected of having H1N1 symptoms upon entering the country.

"Without this certificate, any person with swine flu symptoms will be prohibited from entering the country. Accordingly, any company or establishment will have the right to cancel sponsorship, if the worker conceals an infection intentionally," the source said.


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The source told Gulf News that the committee followed some infected cases with the H1N1 virus during the last few weeks and found that strict measures for containing the virus have to be taken.

The source also said that quarantining people infected with the virus, and not allowing them to be in touch with others in public locations such as markets, malls, cinemas and worship areas is vital in curbing the spread of the virus.

One of the important decisions taken by the committee is to provide malls with thermal scanners to detect those with high fever, before quarantining them.

Strict instructions have also been issued to airlines to advise people coming to the UAE to contact the authorities if they have high fever.

This will help the committee to follow up their case and curb the virus from spreading. Airlines are also instructed to print brochures to increase awareness among passengers and to urge them to declare their health status.

The committee held a meeting on Sunday with officials at the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education to set up a plan for the new school year.

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So my first question and no offense intended, but what about locals, who might be returning from vacation? Why is there no certificate required by them?

Chocoholic wrote:So my first question and no offense intended, but what about locals, who might be returning from vacation? Why is there no certificate required by them?

The same reason their forums and chat rooms are not blocked - they're special and immune to doing anything wrong.

But it makes no sense. Expats have to prove they are virus free before coming back, yet you could have an infected Emirati who hops on a plane and infects everyone else!

Once again, governments not thinking properly.

rash decision.

next thing - they'll doubt the authenticity of the certificates and ask to get it attested from UAE embassy in your country and from your govt.
half your vacation will go in running around for the paperwork. and you'll probably fall sick from doing that anyway...

Chocoholic wrote:So my first question and no offense intended, but what about locals, who might be returning from vacation? Why is there no certificate required by them?

it's stupid and not practical not bcz of your non stop raciest view of everything but bcz of the fact that you can get the flu in the airplane so I guess those officials should shovel the certificate up their a**es:)

but to make you rest in peace, you are not expecting the country to turn back on it's citizens and send them back to where they came from ,right ? it's their obligation to treat its citizen but don't have to take the responsibilities of other countries .

beside the health officials said they don't have enough hospital beds and medication if the flu keeps growing, I wonder where all the money goes to.

michaeldubai wrote:rash decision.

next thing - they'll doubt the authenticity of the certificates and ask to get it attested from UAE embassy in your country and from your govt.
half your vacation will go in running around for the paperwork. and you'll probably fall sick from doing that anyway...

LOL! so much truth is said in jest.

Kid you missed the point entirely. I was having nothing against locals, take off those blinkered glasses. But it should be across the board for EVERYONE returning from a holiday! What you think the virus will prefer an expat over a local - wake up and grow up already!

Everyone has the same risk on being infected, no matter who you are or where you come from.

It's a stupid decision. Time wasting for people to go to have blood tests in a foreign country, then have to wait who knows how long for the results - ridiculous.

Its obvious local are nationals and they will be checked inside the country once they are here and if at all get infected will be treated inside.
Expats can be deported back while locals can not be. Cheers

Chocoholic wrote:Gulf News this morning:

http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Health/10335287.html


Abu Dhabi: Expatriates who are working in the UAE and are on vacation abroad will have to produce a medical certificate that proves they are not infected with H1N1 virus before returning to the country.

The move will be implemented from August.

A source from the National Committee for Combating Swine Flu also said that instructions have been issued to all airports, sea ports and land border points to quarantine any person suspected of having H1N1 symptoms upon entering the country.

"Without this certificate, any person with swine flu symptoms will be prohibited from entering the country. Accordingly, any company or establishment will have the right to cancel sponsorship, if the worker conceals an infection intentionally," the source said.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The source told Gulf News that the committee followed some infected cases with the H1N1 virus during the last few weeks and found that strict measures for containing the virus have to be taken.

The source also said that quarantining people infected with the virus, and not allowing them to be in touch with others in public locations such as markets, malls, cinemas and worship areas is vital in curbing the spread of the virus.

One of the important decisions taken by the committee is to provide malls with thermal scanners to detect those with high fever, before quarantining them.

Strict instructions have also been issued to airlines to advise people coming to the UAE to contact the authorities if they have high fever.

This will help the committee to follow up their case and curb the virus from spreading. Airlines are also instructed to print brochures to increase awareness among passengers and to urge them to declare their health status.

The committee held a meeting on Sunday with officials at the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education to set up a plan for the new school year.

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what abt the expats who travel in n out of dubai very frequently.. i do tht every week.. so where do i get this certificate from??

In some Government Jobs , Locals are required to do the Flu Test upon arrival

What if someone gets infected after the certificate is issued?

You ALL miss the point. Dubai is an international HUB for people passing through the airport from all over the world !!

Who the hell is testing THAT LOT???

Are they going to close down Dubai International Airport ??

If strangers who do not even know they have GOT IT....because they are incubating it at the time ....pass it onto taps and toilet seats and cafe cups and people they talk to.....all at the airport......how do you stop it? You cannot SEE it !!

What about the cruise passengers arriving in Dubai ? Who tests them?

It is impossible to stop a virus spreading....particularly in a very busy INTERNATIONAL hub !!

BlackburnRovers wrote:What if someone gets infected after the certificate is issued?

Hospitialized until full recovery (2 weeks0

I just recieved Break in news that the health minstery deny such report
but it should be implemented on anyone travelling out of the country

Its a logistics disaster.

Most people are on vacation in their home countries and will return in August. They would not know of the new rule. So will officials send them all back? Which airline would be able to handle such capacity? even the airport facilities cannot handle it. What will they do - make them camp on the runway? No way it can be implemented in August.

RedKite wrote:You ALL miss the point. Dubai is an international HUB for people passing through the airport from all over the world !!

Who the hell is testing THAT LOT???

Are they going to close down Dubai International Airport ??

If strangers who do not even know they have GOT IT....because they are incubating it at the time ....pass it onto taps and toilet seats and cafe cups and people they talk to.....all at the airport......how do you stop it? You cannot SEE it !!

What about the cruise passengers arriving in Dubai ? Who tests them?

It is impossible to stop a virus spreading....particularly in a very busy INTERNATIONAL hub !!

You can not stop such viruses from spreading nor restriction on travel and border closures. More people will die from such viruses in future than from wars, is it not an eye opener. One thing I am puzzled, WHO quoted probable figures being infected by swine flu is far greater than that of bird flu, how come?
cheers

dubai1970 wrote:Its obvious local are nationals and they will be checked inside the country once they are here and if at all get infected will be treated inside.
Expats can be deported back while locals can not be. Cheers

Well now that's a bit silly isn't it? So what if someone has contracted swine flu outside the UAE and they don't pick it up until they arrive back here - HELLO! THey could already have passed in onto others.

Not the smartest tool in the box are you?

Chocoholic wrote:

dubai1970 wrote:Its obvious local are nationals and they will be checked inside the country once they are here and if at all get infected will be treated inside.
Expats can be deported back while locals can not be. Cheers

Well now that's a bit silly isn't it? So what if someone has contracted swine flu outside the UAE and they don't pick it up until they arrive back here - HELLO! THey could already have passed in onto others.

Not the smartest tool in the box are you?

Well you can go on and on and ague but the bulk of population are expats and thats where all efforts are being made to contain the situation. As I have already mentioned such viruses are very hard to control from spreading. Last week there was a philipine school in my area, closed down for a week because of the same reasons you mentioned, some of the kids who came back from philipine were having the flu.
If you were a local not infected then you would be scared naturally bec of the huge expat populaton. I think its a political move.
Cheers

A certificate only gives rise to complications. Eventually they'll ask for the certificates to be attested at the UAE embassy.
The only way to tackle swine flu is to set up an extensive watch mechanism at airports or the second more painful alternative would be to try and reduce footfall to a number where oversight is feasable.
If we've indeed got a pandemic on ourhands then there really is no way to control it apart from asking people to sit indoors or make it mandatory for everyone to wear surgical masks or these respirator masks and medical gloves. And one can only hope that governments have enough Tamiflu.

dubai1970 wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:

dubai1970 wrote:Its obvious local are nationals and they will be checked inside the country once they are here and if at all get infected will be treated inside.
Expats can be deported back while locals can not be. Cheers

Well now that's a bit silly isn't it? So what if someone has contracted swine flu outside the UAE and they don't pick it up until they arrive back here - HELLO! THey could already have passed in onto others.

Not the smartest tool in the box are you?

Well you can go on and on and ague but the bulk of population are expats and thats where all efforts are being made to contain the situation. As I have already mentioned such viruses are very hard to control from spreading. Last week there was a philipine school in my area, closed down for a week because of the same reasons you mentioned, some of the kids who came back from philipine were having the flu.
If you were a local not infected then you would be scared naturally bec of the huge expat populaton. I think its a political move.
Cheers

erm so Emiratis don't go on vacation or travel for business etc etc etc. Excuse me but loads of locals leave the country during Ramadan and go to other countries on vacation.

The certificate thing is totally unrealistic. Thermal sensors in the airport and the other measures are enough.

Chocoholic wrote:

dubai1970 wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:

dubai1970 wrote:Its obvious local are nationals and they will be checked inside the country once they are here and if at all get infected will be treated inside.
Expats can be deported back while locals can not be. Cheers

Well now that's a bit silly isn't it? So what if someone has contracted swine flu outside the UAE and they don't pick it up until they arrive back here - HELLO! THey could already have passed in onto others.

Not the smartest tool in the box are you?

Well you can go on and on and ague but the bulk of population are expats and thats where all efforts are being made to contain the situation. As I have already mentioned such viruses are very hard to control from spreading. Last week there was a philipine school in my area, closed down for a week because of the same reasons you mentioned, some of the kids who came back from philipine were having the flu.
If you were a local not infected then you would be scared naturally bec of the huge expat populaton. I think its a political move.
Cheers

erm so Emiratis don't go on vacation or travel for business etc etc etc. Excuse me but loads of locals leave the country during Ramadan and go to other countries on vacation.

The certificate thing is totally unrealistic. Thermal sensors in the airport and the other measures are enough.

Termal sensors do not work as effetively or none and then you would have to have special flights back to the native country for the infected ones:-) Do you know any one personally who was infected?

That should clear a few nerves

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArti ... ion=theuae

Medical clearance not mandatory for residents (Wam)

28 July 2009 The National Supervisory Committee for Combating Swine Flu (H1N1 virus) has not issued any resolution demanding resident expatriates to produce a medical clearance certificate that proves they are not infected with H1N1 virus upon returning to the country, a senior health official affirmed today.

“The news about this issue is completely untrue,” Dr. Ali bin Shuker, Director of the Ministry of Health and Chairman of the Technical Health Committee for Combating Swine Flu, emphasised.

“The National Supervisory Committee for Combating Swine Flu, which is chaired by Health Minister Dr. Hanif Hassan, is committed to standards set out by the World Health Organisations (WHO) in fighting the H1N1 virus,” he added.

Yes BBR, saw the article on GN.

look at the bright side. at least people on the forum sharpened their thinking and typing skills.

a bit of regular thing now eh? major news announced in the morn and by afternoon, formal announcement says its false. GN and others need to get their behinds whopped.

All false news...

The UAE Ministry of Health has strongly denied it will demand expatriates in the UAE on holiday abroad to produce a medical certificate proving they are not infected with swine flu before returning to the country.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/563134

That's good then!

Now, anyone know how to go about getting your shiny new ID card enabled for use at the airport e-gates?

I read you can do it at the airport for 150 dhs., but how and where exactly?

GN SUCKS

janathar wrote:GN SUCKS

Why blame GN, they certainly did not make up the story, however after an enormous amount of media attention comments being made on the on-line newspapers a denial was issued. Not the first time such a thing has happened.

I am actually very surprised to see the denial come within hours. Given past experiences, it would have taken 2 days for it to come...

lol just reading some of you ppl getting worried about the law made me laugh and to top it off it was just a hoax. LOL

dubaiforum is becoming a comedy circus day after day