Travelers arriving in Abu Dhabi must now wear quarantine tracking bracelets

Etihad has announced that passengers arriving in Abu Dhabi must now start wearing an electronic wristband to ensure that quarantine rules are being strictly followed to prevent further outbreaks. Passengers are already required to be tested for COVID-19 within 96 hours of their flight, no matter their final destination.

When disembarking at the airport, travelers will go through thermal sensors and be tested for COVID-19. They must then quarantine for 14 days and are required to wear the wristband, which officials are handing out at the airport.

Like many other countries, the United Arab Emirates is seeing a second rise in cases after falling numbers the last few months, though the number of deaths remains much lower than in April and May at the height of the outbreak. The UAE recorded its highest new daily case number in the whole pandemic on September 12.

The country has introduced a number of innovative ways to stamp out the coronavirus at its international airports, which were once some of the busiest in the world. Last month, specially trained dogs were dispatched in Dubai’s airport to detect COVID-19 in passengers, and Emirates promised to cover travelers’ expenses if they are diagnosed with the virus.

A handful of other places around the world have implemented or are considering similar geolocation technology. All new arrivals in Singapore since mid-August have been required to wear an electronic monitoring device, and Hawaii was weighing up whether to allow travelers to quarantine in ‘resort bubbles’ while being outfitted with tracking devices.