Qatar will end Covid-19 tests from next November 1

Qatar will stop demanding Covid-19 tests Before the World Cup, the emirate’s Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday, after indicating that the expected million spectators will no longer need to be vaccinated.

This relaxation of the anticovid measures will be applied from next November 1, 19 days before the start of the first World Cup in Arab territory.

The tournament will bring the largest flow of visitors in the history of the small Gulf emirate, with 2.9 million inhabitants.

Visitors will no longer be required to submit negative PCR or antigen test results before traveling to Qatar,” the ministry said in a statement.

Qatari citizens and residents will also not need to take a Covid test 24 hours before returning to the country from abroad, the ministry added.

The World Cup, which will be held from November 20 to December 18, is the first major sporting event open to the public since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

The Qatari organizers and the FIFA, soccer’s governing body, want the event to be a sign that the world is overcoming covid. But the Ministry of Health has already warned that they would impose special measures if “the situation of the pandemic in the country worsens.”

The new measures will benefit visitors arriving from November 1.

Starting on that day, Qatar will instead close access to anyone (other than nationals and residents) who lacks a Hayya card, the document given to stadium ticket holders, their guests, players, media, stadium workers World and authorities.