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Covid-19: Abu Dhabi residents hail new EDE scanners; results in less than 5 seconds

Abu Dhabi - EDE Covid-19 scanners are quick, convenient and will go a long way in boosting safety across the emirate.

The special Covid-19 scanners rolled out at malls and other places in Abu Dhabi has boosted the confidence of residents in a big way.

“You move around the mall (or other places) where you are sure that everyone around you is free from the virus,” shoppers told Khaleej Times.

The special Covid-19 scanning technology is quick, convenient and will go a long way in boosting safety across the emirate, officials said.

Abu Dhabi authorities implemented the use of EDE Covid-19 scanners at shopping malls, some residential areas, and all land and air entry points in the emirate starting from Monday as part of measures to enhance Covid-19 protocols to protect public health.

The EDE scanning technology can detect a possible Covid-19 infection by measuring electromagnetic waves, which change when the RNA particles of the virus are present in the person’s body, therefore providing an immediate result.

In a statement issued on Sunday evening, the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee said it expanded the roll-out of EDE scanners following a successful pilot phase and approval by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH). The DoH said the EDE scanners were effective and viable detectors of the Covid-19 virus.

According to authorities, if the scanner identifies a person as being potentially infected with Covid-19, they will not be permitted entry and must follow the approved protocol and take a PCR test within 24 hours.

Mayar Salti, an Abu Dhabi expat from the Caribbean said he was impressed with the use of new technology as it was quick and convenient.

“I visited Al Wahda mall this morning and I was surprised when a security guard used the Covid-19 scanner on my face. This was new to me. He then showed me the negative result and allowed to enter,” said Salti, 40.

“It was very quick and convenient. It took only a few seconds. I believe the use of this latest technology will promote safety in the malls and increase people’s confidence as you move around knowing that everyone is Covid-19 negative.”

Helen Zimmer, a Finnish expat, who is on a visit toAbu Dhabi to see her husband, says she too was amazed by the new technology when she visited Al Wahda mall on Monday.

“I was stunned by the use of the EDE scanners to detect Covid-19 infections at shopping malls. This is something incredible and would contain the spread of the virus,” Zimmer told Khaleej Times.

Filipina expat, Rose Peteho who visited Dalma Mall also hailed the new technology.

“When I reached at the mall entrance, I pulled out my phone and opened the Alhosn app to show to the security guard. But he told me to leave it. He then used the EDE scanner to detect my status and showed me a negative result before I was allowed entry,” she said.

“I liked the process because it was so quick and convenient. It doesn’t require you to show anything to be allowed entry to the mall.”

New technology to ease work for security guards

A security guard at one of the shopping malls told Khaleej Times that the new technology will help speed up their work as it takes less than five seconds to scan a shopper.

“This EDE Covid-19 scanner is very quick and enables us to check many shoppers within a short time and without having long queues or crowds at the entrance,” he said.

He also noted that, unlike the Green Pass, which had earlier been introduced, and where some shoppers stood the chance to be turned away when the Alhosn app failed to open, or because they didn’t have the app on their phones, the EDE scanning technology doesn’t require mall visitors to show anything. “The shopper only has to have their face scanned using the EDE Covid scanner and are allowed entry if their result is negative,” he said.

Bhupinder Singh, general Manager and CFO of Dalma Mall, says that in addition to the scanning cameras at the mall entrance, the use of the EDE Covid-19 scanners is a plus to the shoppers.

“We have implemented the use of the EDE scanning technology to detect Covid-19 infections at our shopping mall. It is such a great initiative because it is quick and would improve the safety of the shoppers,” he said.

Abu Dhabi authorities had earlier rolled out a ‘green pass’ Covid-19 safety protocol that required residents and tourists to show the green pass on the Alhosn app to gain entry at public places.

The rule that applied to those aged 16 and above, had come into effect from June 15 but it was later suspended after a technical snag.

During the Covid-19 press briefing on Sunday, Dr. Farida Al Hosani, official spokesperson for the UAE Health Sector, confirmed that the Al Hosn app was working as normal and people should continue to use it.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com