UAE makes changes to Al Hosn green pass

The authorities have reduced the time for which Al Hosn status remains green to 14 days from 30.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention said the new system would be in place from Sunday. The smartphone app’s colour will then turn grey until a negative PCR test is obtained.

Al Hosn’s green pass is required for entry to many public venues in Abu Dhabi.

The move comes amid efforts to protect public health and limit the spread of Covid-19.

The change, reported by state news agency Wam on Wednesday, came as the UAE recorded its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention said the variant had been detected in a woman coming from an African country through an Arab nation, without specifying which.

The woman has been put into isolation and those who had contact with her were also traced and isolated.

She had not shown any symptoms but her condition is being monitored. The woman had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

The ministry reiterated the importance of vaccinations, including the booster shot, to tackle the spread of new variants.

Omicron, described as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organisation, has been detected in scores of countries around the world.

Fears about the variant have led to the reintroduction of travel curbs and other Covid-19 safety measures.

The UAE suspended entry by travellers from several countries in response to the variant.

But the WHO on Wednesday said there was no reason to panic about the variant, which was identified by South African researchers.

Doctors say many people who have become ill during South Africa’s rapid increase in cases have mostly mild symptoms.