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Sharjah's free Covid-19 test to cover all residential areas

Sharjah - For each residential area, the process will be done for 10 days, testing 200 people per day.

Sharjah will be extending its free Covid-19 screening to all residential areas in the emirate, authorities said on Sunday.

The screening programme - organised by the Ministry of Health and Prevention in coordination with the Sharjah Police - started in Al Nahda on Sunday, with residents lining up for the test as early as 9am. Carried out at a mobile screening centre set up in Al Nahda Park, tests were conducted from 10am to 6pm.

Major Abdul Rahman Bu Ghanem, director of support mission department at Sharjah Police, confirmed that a plan is now being put together to implement this free screening campaign in all neighbourhoods of the emirate.

For each residential area, the process will be done for 10 days, testing 200 people per day. Two days before the schedule, residents will receive a message from the police, explaining where and when they can go to get screened for free. They will have to present an Emirates ID and the text message on the day of the test.

Residential parks will be the primary venue for the campaign, Maj Bu Ghanem said.

Yaqoub Osama, a resident of Al Nahda area, said he was thankful for the free Covid-19 test.

"Getting a test done through a hospital or the drive-through screening centre was very costly for me at Dh300 to Dh400. I have a family of six, I couldn't afford the screening for all of us. Now, my family and I can ensure that we are Covid-free without spending anything. I would like to extend my thanks to Sharjah Police and health authorities in the country for their efforts," he said.

Nithin K, another resident, said that as soon as he received the message from the police, he filed a day off so he and his family can get screened.

"We were warmly welcomed by the medical staff when we arrived at 9am. It was a seamless process. They took the sample and confirmed that they will send the result via SMS," Nithin said.

"I  would like to thank the first responders of the police and health authorities for the doing all that they can to protect the community from Covid-19."

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com