Qatar's Ministry of Public Health has confirmed that visitors will no longer be required to demonstrate proof of a negative COVID-19 test result upon arrival into the country.
The nation will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup in less than a month and is said to be expecting around 1.2 million visitors between November and December.
Prior to the announcement, supporters had been told that they must show proof of a negative result regardless of their vaccination status before travelling via air or crossing the border.
READ MORE: When is England's World Cup 2022 squad announced for Qatar?
Instead, a statement has now been released explaining that adults will now be asked to show their COVID-19 status on a government-run contact tracing smartphone application called Ehteraz. This will need to be done before entering stadiums or other establishments.
Visitors and residents will also need to show the application before entering a healthcare facility.
The statement reads:
"The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has announced that with the number of COVID-19 cases continuing to fall around the world and in Qatar, and the ongoing rollout of Qatar's National COVID-19 Vaccination Program, and based on the decision of the Council of Ministers issued on 26 October 2022, a set of updates will be applied to the measures in place to confront COVID-19.
"The updates come into effect on Tuesday, 1 November 2022 and are as follows:
- It is mandatory for individuals to present the health status of the Ehteraz application when entering healthcare facilities in Qatar.
- Citizens and residents of Qatar are no longer required to take a Rapid Antigen Test or PCR test within 24 hours following arrival in Qatar
- Visitors are no longer required to present a negative COVID-19 PC or Rapid Antigen Test result before travelling to Qatar
"The Ministry stressed the need for all citizens, residents and visitors to continue to follow standard precautionary measures to reduce the risk of infection.
This includes being fully vaccinated against COVID-19; performing regular hand hygiene; getting tested if you experience COVID-19 symptoms; and following a healthy lifestyle.
"Travelers are reminded to visit the Ministry's COVID-19 Travel and Return Policy website to keep up-to-date with all the latest policy requirements."
England kick-off their World Cup campaign by facing off against Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on Monday, November 21st.
Meanwhile, Wales return to World Cup action for the first time since 1958 later on that day, when they go head-to-head against the USA at the Al Rayyan Stadium.
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