24 Days Ahead Of The 2022 World Cup: Qatar Frees Spectators Without A COVID-19 Test

Illustration of the World Cup (Instagram @go.qatar.2022)

JAKARTA - Qatar will stop testing for COVID-19 for travelers arriving in the country ahead of the 2022 World Cup. The health ministry said weeks after announcing millions of football fans would watch the game without a vaccination.

The latest easing in anti-COVID measures will take effect from November 1 or 19 days before the first 2022 World Cup kick-off in Arab territory begins on November 20.

The audience, players, officials, staff, and media that have come so far are the largest visitor streams seen in Qatar, a small but oil and gas-rich country and have a population of only 2.9 million.

"Visitors are no longer required to show negative PCR results for COVID-19 or Rapid Antigen Test before traveling to Qatar," the statement was quoted as saying by Antara from AFP.

Qatari residents and residents also no longer need to do PCR or rapid antigen tests within 24 hours after returning from abroad, the health ministry added.

The 29-day world football tournament will be the first major global sporting agenda with fans since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in December 2019, killing more than six million people.

Last year's delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics took large part in private, and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics were held in a safe bubble.

The Qatari World Cup committee and world football organization FIFA said they wanted the event to be a sign that the world was overcoming the pandemic.

However, the local health ministry has warned that special measures will take effect "if the pandemic situation worsens in the country", such as the emergence of new, more threatening variants.

Players and match officials will be forced into a safe "bubble" if COVID-19 cases re-emerge, as well as threats of expulsion from tournaments for those who violate the safe environment, the ministry said last month.

The measures announced on Wednesday include all visitors arriving from November 1, when Qatar will be closed to anyone without a Hayya card - a mandatory document given to players, officials, staff, media and ticket holders and their guests.

Under existing rules until November 1, all visitors over the age of six must test negative for COVID-19 before flying to Qatar.

Requirements for wearing masks on public transport have also been canceled this month, and masks are also not mandatory in eight World Cup stadiums.

In Qatar, there were 684 deaths from COVID-19, with 464.223 patients recovering, the health ministry's website said.