COVID-19 is crippling the global economy. International travel has almost come to a halt- for non-essential travel anyway. EU countries have opened its borders to 14 countries, New Zealand (where I live) is among them. New Zealand is one of the safest places to live right now, given that there is no community transmission of COVID-19. Some 22 live cases have been found as a result of detecting people with the virus at the border- New Zealander's returning home. No cases have been found in New Zealand for the last two days. The UAE requires that any person entering from a foreign country show a negative test for coronavirus. This is reasonable. This article explains what the governments there are doing.

Jun 29, 2020 Al Monitor Staff

Residents of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) returning from abroad and those wishing to enter the capital must first test negative for COVID-19, the state news agency reported Monday.

Beginning July 1, travelers cannot board a UAE-bound plane without first showing proof they are not infected with the coronavirus, WAM reported. Under the new rules, residents must receive a negative test result at least 72 hours before their arrival.

The capital city of Abu Dhabi has its own set of restrictions, with entrance allowed only for those who have tested negative in the previous 48 hours. Workers who are not based in Abu Dhabi are not permitted to enter regardless.

According to the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Committee for the Covid-19 Pandemic, test results must be shown using the government's official smartphone app or a text message from an accredited testing center.

The oil-rich Gulf country, which has been conducting tens of thousands of virus tests daily, announced 449 new cases of the novel coronavirus Monday. Of the total 48,246 infections, 314 people have died nationwide.

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The UAE has loosened restrictions in recent weeks, including lifting its virus-related curfew across the country. The traditional sport of camel racing is set to resume in July.

The UAE has suspended commercial flights to Pakistan amid a concerning increase in new infections, WAM said Sunday. The halt in arrivals will remain in place until a special lab is constructed in Pakistan to test those headed to the UAE.

Last week, state-own carrier Emirates airlines suspended service from Pakistan after passengers tested positive in Hong Kong following one of its flights from the country.