Starting from Monday December 22, all passengers arriving from the UK are required to hotel-quarantine in one of the two dedicated hotels. Travelers arriving to Doha from South Africa, The Netherlands and Denmark must also hotel quarantine.
Following the discovery of a new coronavirus strand in the UK, officials in Qatar have dedicated two hotels for all passengers arriving in Doha from Britain.
Discover Qatar stated on its website that “all passengers arriving on flights originating from the UK will be required to stay at one of the following dedicated quarantine hotels: Intercontinental Doha Hotel or Mercure Grand Doha.”
“If you have already made your hotel reservation in a different hotel, and are arriving before 6am local time on 23 December, your reservation will be automatically transferred upon arrival,” it added.
The Intercontinental has confirmed to Doha News that a separate entrance and wing has been allocated for those quarantining, ensuring no cross-over between its guests. All those quarantining at the facility will remain in their rooms for the entirety of the week-long period, with no access to any other parts of the hotel, management assured.
In addition, passengers arriving from South Africa, The Netherlands and Denmark will also have to hotel-quarantine regardless of their age. Previously, as with other “high-risk” countries, exceptions to hotel quarantine were made for families who have someone over the age of 55 or below 5 years old, or a member with a verified chronic illness. This is no longer the case.
Read also: COVID in Qatar – everything you need to know
Although instructions have been sent to Hamad International Airport and are already being implemented, a public announcement is yet to be made by officials.
For arrivals up to 6am on 23 December any differences in the cost of the original quarantine hotel will be eligible for a refund claim. After 6am local time on 23 December no additional fees will be required in case of any price difference between the original hotel booked and the mandatory UK quarantine hotels. Additionally, people will be eligible for a refund if the original quarantine booking was more expensive than the options available.
Earlier this week, authorities extended the hotel quarantine packages for arrivals from countries not on the low-risk list until February 15, 2021.
On Monday, Qatar became the first Arab country to receive the Pfizer COVID19 vaccine. Numbers of coronavirus infections in Qatar have been consistently declining in recent weeks with the officials aiming to have 70% of the population vaccinated by April of 2021.
Follow Doha News on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube
