47 Days Towards The 2022 World Cup: Mandatory Spectators For COVID-19 Tests

Illustration of a COVID-19 test. (Photo: Pexels/@Maksim Goncharenok)

JAKARTA Spectators who want to watch the 2022 Qatar World Cup live must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test regardless of their vaccination status.

All visitors aged six years and over must show a negative result of the PCR test taken within 48 hours before departure or from the rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours before arriving.

Later visitors aged 18 years and over will be asked to download the Qatar government-run COVID-19 transmission prevention phone application. The application in question is called Ehteraz.

"The status of Ehteraz (a application such as PeduliLindung in Indonesia, ed.) is green (showing users do not have confirmed cases of COVID-19) is needed to enter any public closed space," the organizer said as reported by Channel News Asia.

The results of the rapid antigen test will only be received if they come from an official health center and are not carried out alone. No further tests are needed in Qatar if visitors do not experience symptoms of COVID-19.

In addition, spectators are required to wear masks on public transportation while in Qatar. However, vaccination status is not required in the morning of supporters, which is estimated to reach 1.2 million people.

"Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 while in Qatar will be asked to isolate according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Public Health," the statement said.

According to data from the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar has recorded more than 440,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 692 deaths from the virus.

This country has a population of 2.8 million, of which nearly 380 thousand are citizens of Qatar. According to the data, as many as 7,487,616 doses of vaccine have been given so far.

Qatar's 2022 World Cup will start on November 20 until December 18. This is the first time in the history of the four-year most prestigious competition taking place in the central Eastern Country.