MoPH announces new quarantine exemption criteria for individuals vaccinated in GCC countries

QNADoha

The Ministry of Public Health has announced quarantine exemption criteria for GCC citizens, their families, and their household employees arriving in Qatar and have received COVID-19 vaccine in one of the GCC countries.The new criteria became effective Friday, May 7, 2021 provided that the vaccines received by these individuals outside Qatar are included in the list of vaccines approved by the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar.Based on the new criteria, the following COVID-19 health protocols will be effective immediately:* GCC citizens, their families, and their household employees arriving in Qatar must have a pre-travel COVID-19 PCR test conducted at a COVID-19 testing center approved by their local Ministry of Health 72 hours prior to their departure of their country of origin.

* Fully vaccinated travelers who received COVID-19 vaccines approved by the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar will be exempt of quarantine provided that a period of at least 14 days has lapsed after receiving the last dose of the vaccine. Travellers will be asked to produce an official vaccination card upon arrival in Qatar.

* Travellers, their families and individual sponsors, who do not meet the vaccine criteria must undergo a 7- day hotel quarantine at a designated hotel to be selected via Discover Qatar Online Application, prior to arrival in Qatar. An Ehteraz application - with yellow screen indication - must also be obtained.

* Children who do not meet the vaccination criteria, but are accompanied by parents who do meet the vaccination criteria, must undergo a 7- day hotel quarantine at a designated hotel to be selected via Discover Qatar Online Application prior to arrival in Qatar. One of the two parents can be exempted from quarantine with the other parent quarantined together with these children. During the quarantine period, an Ehteraz application - with yellow screen indication - must also be present. Parents cannot exchange roles in accompanying quarantined children.

* Individuals arriving at a Qatari point of entry must have a Qatari mobile SIM card and have Ehteraz app installed and activated on their mobile phones.* All individuals undergoing hotel quarantine will be subjected to the applicable quarantine protocols and are not allowed to access in public areas or be present therein unless their Ehteraz screen indication is green.