Emirates To Require Negative PCR Test For Some Countries/Airports

Emirates has announced that starting July 10th that if you’re flying from select airports or countries you must carry a negative PCR test that was issued no more than 96 hours before departure. The countries/airports are as follows:

  • Afghanistan
  • Bangladesh
  • Egypt
  • India
  • Iran
  • Nigeria
  • Pakistan
  • Philippines
  • Russian Federation
  • Sudan
  • Tanzania
  • USA – Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Orlando (MCO), including passengers originating from California, Florida and Texas connecting to an Emirates flight to Dubai.

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Larry
Larry (@guest_1013739)
July 10, 2020 13:26

Doesn’t matter whether its 96 hours or 72 or whatever. Any country or state with these requirements is just a no-go at this point, given the uncertaintly of test results. I will not travel to anyplace with any testing requirement period, at least not unless the availability and speed of tests in the USA change drastically, and that is not happening any time soon. Would rather they just stay closed than come up with unrealistic requirements. And yes, it is 100% the fault of the lack of leadership in this country.

Gerry
Gerry (@guest_1013528)
July 10, 2020 09:15

96 hours? Front line workers only get results back in 9 days. It takes a couple weeks to get negative PCR test results back.

Red
Red (@guest_1014223)
July 11, 2020 01:23

I can go to the local rite aid, get swabbed & have results in 48 hrs. I don’t think that has changed in the last week since SO did it.

Gerry
Gerry (@guest_1014287)
July 11, 2020 05:12

@Red What state? There’s a serious disinformation by the Trump campaign going around that “there are enough tests”. I’m in Florida which is a major hotspot. Even our governor refuses to acknowledge the crisis we have here. Orlando hospitals are running out of supplies (and ICU beds) so it’s only thanks to the good grace of NY that they’re sending us remdesivir.

You can NOT simply walk into a CVS/Walgreens here and “get a test”. You MUST wait at least 9 days if you’re a frontline worker. So anyone flying the FLL-DXB route is put in an extremely difficult situation to adhere to their stringent policies.

Red
Red (@guest_1015531)
July 13, 2020 11:59

SO was in upstate NY. Possible exposure to a cluster in Rensselaer county. That cluster was traced to visitors from or a resident returning from GA.

Red
Red (@guest_1015541)
July 13, 2020 12:28

I hope FL does not see the pain that NYC experienced.

Did a cruise recently (small private sailing vessel) and one of the passengers, a PA (niece of a buddy), lives a mile or two from Elmhurst Hospital (Queens NY). She’s a lifelong addicted water person. She said no trip has ever revived her soul/sprit like this one. She has been to exotic far flung places as a civilian and in the military, she is no shrinking violet and served in active combat zones. This cruise was not new territory for any of us, she is just starting to deal with how her life has changed from what she has been through. Like nothing else, seeing the situation through her eyes opened mine. She has a book but it will never get written, she just is not the type, I’d be surprised if she has shared half of what she went through/saw with anyone.

Tom
Tom (@guest_1013456)
July 10, 2020 05:32

Great! Keep americans out, keep local people safe!

DP
DP (@guest_1013405)
July 10, 2020 01:34

USA!USA!USA!

sonia
sonia (@guest_1013261)
July 9, 2020 21:06

lmao. I used to be in lab and PCRs take quite a long time to run… I’d say a few hours

Dubya
Dubya (@guest_1013507)
July 10, 2020 08:40

Since when is a few hours a long time? Its says the test should be done within 4 days of your flight not right before you board the plane.

Memba Berries
Memba Berries (@guest_1013260)
July 9, 2020 21:06

Heh, memba when Emirates cancelled flights and only offered “vouchers,” instead of refunds as the DOT requires? Oh yah, I memba.

Jake
Jake (@guest_1013209)
July 9, 2020 20:14

FRA is providing onsite testing service for people who have international travel and need the results proof. Maybe our useless TSA and CDC can learn something from Germany who did a great job to contain the COVID19.

Ann
Ann (@guest_1013352)
July 9, 2020 23:36

Cool! Nice job, Germany. 🙂 futuretravelexperience.com/2020/06/lufthansa-opens-walk-in-covid-19-testing-facilities-at-fra-and-muc/

Meanwhile in the US, at least a thousand TSA employees have tested positive.

Dan
Dan (@guest_1013467)
July 10, 2020 06:38

centogene.com does the FRA testing. From what I was told it is between the terminals and the train platform so it is publicly accessible. Those transiting would need to exit the secured areas and re-enter the terminal areas unless FRA addresses that issue (maybe a second location in the terminal area)

Ann
Ann (@guest_1013195)
July 9, 2020 20:01

A lot of US testing services are taking unpredictably lengthy times (a week or more) to get results lately, and some are only telling you the results over the phone. One option that might be fast enough and reliably-timed enough for this is the “Pixel By LabCorp” at-home test kit. They overnight the kit to you, you overnight it back to them (prepaid), and you get the results online a day or two after that.

Brad
Brad (@guest_1013203)
July 9, 2020 20:09

7/9 update: With significant increases in COVID-19 testing demand, the average time to deliver results may now be 4-6 days from when your sample is received at the lab.

Ann
Ann (@guest_1013351)
July 9, 2020 23:28

Ugh, so much for that. I guess everything is too backed-up now in the US unless you have a place in your area doing the rapid testing (on-site analysis with an expensive machine, results in a few hours).

jamie
jamie (@guest_1013373)
July 10, 2020 00:03

None of the rapid testing sites near me are the PCR (molecular) tests. It appears that Emirates is requiring a PCR test, which is the swab-up-the-nose and then sent to a lab test. Results are taking 4-7 days in my area.

Jake
Jake (@guest_1013194)
July 9, 2020 20:01

I am super pissed to see USA is on the list with the other third world countries.

Peter
Peter (@guest_1013201)
July 9, 2020 20:06

Some of them are probably pissed to be on the same list as the USA. Pakistan, for example, has done a (slightly) better job at containing the disease…

grrizzly
grrizzly (@guest_1013218)
July 9, 2020 20:18

New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts have had more COVID19 deaths per 1M pop. than any country in the world.

President Said It First
President Said It First (@guest_1013262)
July 9, 2020 21:07

Third world? You mean s-holes

Anonymous
Anonymous (@guest_1013300)
July 9, 2020 21:57

Jake’s comment reeks of privilege.

Dick Bupkiss
Dick Bupkiss (@guest_1013338)
July 9, 2020 23:05

You can thank trump and his boss Vladimir.

Dubya
Dubya (@guest_1013511)
July 10, 2020 08:44

Having grown up in 3rd world country I can tell you the US has handled this worse than a 3rd world country. You reap what you sow.
US citizens are already banned from travel to many countries that are beyond the virus peak.

J
J (@guest_1014205)
July 11, 2020 00:49

USA is the dangerous country in the world now. Who else is doing as bad as the US?