Emirates Crew To Be Vaccinated Or Face Regular PCR Tests

• 60% of Emirates’ crew fully or partially vaccinated against COVID-19

Emirates is stepping up its vaccination programme for front-line employees so its crew can continue to operate when countries start barring entry to people not vaccinated against COVID-19.

From March 15, any of Emirates’ crew members not vaccinated against COVID-19 will be required to submit a negative PCR test valid for seven days prior to the start of flight or standby duty, at their own cost, apart from several exceptions.

Emirates said in a circular to its employees that around 60 percent of its crew has now either been fully or partially vaccinated against COVID-19 or is scheduled to receive the vaccine.

The airline is urging staff to register for a vaccine “as soon as possible” for operational reasons.

Certain countries may in the future differentiate the entry criteria between those who have taken the vaccine and those who did not.

“Keeping this in mind, having a vaccinated workforce has become essential not just from a health and safety angle but from an operational one too,” the airline told its crew members.

Emirates is currently offering its employees the Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinopharm vaccines while the DHA has also approved the use of AstraZeneca.

Wole Shadare