Health

Fully vaccinated travelers to Kurdistan Region no longer need COVID-19 test on arrival

Fully vaccinated travelers, and those who have taken a coronavirus test within 48 of their arrival at any of the region’s border crossings or airports no longer need a PCR test.

Halgurd Sherwani 2021/06/15 10:45

Interior of Erbil International Airport (EIA). (Photo: Sabr Dri)

Kurdistan Krg COVID-19 Vaccines

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – People arriving in the Kurdistan Region who have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine no longer have to take a coronavirus test on arrival, according to a new health ministry decree.

The new decision exempts two groups of travelers from having to undergo a COVID-19 test upon arrival in the Kurdistan Region: fully vaccinated arrivals, and those who have taken a coronavirus test within 48 of their arrival at any of the region’s border crossings or airports, a Kurdistan Regional Government Health Ministry statement said Tuesday.

Arrivals holding a “verified and reliable COVID-19 vaccine certificate for second dose” of any of the available jabs will not be required to have a test, the decree said.

Those who do not meet either of the two criteria will still have to undergo a coronavirus test on arrival.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early March 2020, Kurdistan has recorded more than 177,000 cases of SARS-CoV-2, including 4,300 deaths.

The KRG has so far vaccinated 110,000 people with the three vaccines available in the region, according to health ministry spokesperson Aso Hawezy.