CAIRO: In mid-August, Egypt’s Ministry of Civil Aviation implemented a ruling that all foreign nationals arriving at Egyptian airports must present a negative PCR analysis taken no more than 72 hours before their arrival.
Since that time, sources at Cairo International Airport told Arab News that they have turned away 25 passengers for failing to present proof of having tested negative for novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Earlier this week, the Egyptian government announced that, from Sept. 1, Egyptian nationals returning to the country will also be required to present the same documentation upon arrival.
The Civil Aviation Authority has sent a message to all airlines operating in Egypt outlining the new rules. Only children under the age of six are not required to present the PCR test certificate.
According to the sources, any passenger arriving without the required documentation will be deported immediately on the same plane, and legal action will be instigated against the airline that allowed the passenger to board its plane without the necessary certificate.
The negative PCR analysis is just one of the steps those arriving at Cairo Airport must undergo in order to enter Egypt, the sources said.
Smart thermal cameras inside the arrival halls also scan everyone’s temperature and anyone suspected of having COVID-19 is examined by the airport’s medical staff, led by Dr. Hazem Hussein, director of quarantine at the Cairo airport.
