COVID-19 PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

The Annual Meetings’ Secretariat, in coordination with the authorities concerned in Egypt, has taken health and safety measures, including preventive measures to manage the flow of participants and ensure hygienic standards.

HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES

COVID-19 PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES–SPECIFIC ARRANGEMENTS FOR IsDB GROUP ANNUAL MEETINGS

These guidelines were prepared to ensure safety of all participants at the Annual Meetings pursuant to the requirements of the authorities in the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Secretariat of the Annual Meetings. They aim to provide guidance to participants on COVID-19 preventive measures.

A set of health and safety measures have been taken by the Secretariat of the Annual Meetings, including preventive measures, measures to control the flow of participants and specific hygienic measures.

1. Prevention and general precautions at the Sharm El Sheikh International Convention Center

The following measures will be taken:

• Conduct health checks such as temperature screening and other symptom checking for staff members and attendees in accordance with safety protocols, privacy laws and regulations.
• Attendees or staff members who have been tested positive to COVID-19 or show symptoms will be directed to the medical services of Sharm El Sheikh International Convention Center.
• Physical guides will be provided, such as tape on floors or sidewalks and signs on walls, to ensure that PARTICIPANTS GUIDE 14 individuals keep social distancing.
• Avoid queues and encourage people to stay apart by providing signs and other visual cues
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces within the venue or between uses.

2. Measures to control the flow of participants at the premises of Sharm El Sheikh International Convention Center

The Secretariat of the Annual Meetings will make sure that:

• Seats for delegations are arranged to respect appropriate social distancing.
• Access to the Plenary meetings is granted to the concerned officials/ delegations.
• Only attendees with Governors and alternate Governors badges are allowed into the Governors Round table meeting room.
• Arrangements for the collection of badges are outlined in detail in the Annual meetings Information booklet available on the website of the Annual meetings.

3. Measures to be taken at the plenary meeting room

The Secretariat of the Annual meeting will ensure the following measures:

• Limit seating capacity to allow for social distancing and host smaller events in larger rooms.
• All attendees and Staff members are always required to wear masks.
• Block off seating rows or sections to space people apart.
• Use multiple entrances and exits and discourage crowded waiting areas.

4. Additional hygienic measures

• Attendees are requested to not come to Sharm El Sheikh International Convention Center if they have COVID-19 related Symptoms. If symptoms, as described in the world health Organization portal, are detected, they may be considered a suspected COVID-19 case. Therefore, they are kindly requested to inform the meeting organizer who will contact the Tashkent City Congress Centre Medical Services.
• Attendees must wear face masks in the plenary hall and in meeting rooms at all times, including when seated in their assigned seats.
• Attendees must also wear face masks in all areas of Sharm El Sheikh International Convention such as bathrooms and corridors including when passing through security checkpoints and approaching a security officer, and when collecting badges.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRY INTO THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT

I. Covid-19

As of 22 January 2022, the following must be established before entry of any traveler into the Arab Republic of Egypt is allowed, regardless of nationality, including Egyptians, by land, sea, or air:

• A vaccination certificate showing that the traveler has received all doses of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by the World Health Organization or the Egyptian Drug Authority, with 14 days at least having passed since the second dose (for two-dose vaccines) or the single dose (for single-dose vaccines) prior to arrival in Egypt; or
• A certificate indicating a negative result of any of the COVID-19 tests approved by the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population (ID NOW – Rapid Antigen Test – PCR) within 72 hours before arrival at the Egyptian entry point. Travelers under the age of 12 are exempt.

To be accepted, the certificate approved in the country (issuing authority) may not show any sign of erasure, alteration, or addition and must include:

• A QR code. The certificate shall be accepted after verifying the issuing authority and the required data using the QR Code reader; or
• Approval and attestation of vaccination certificates issued in foreign countries without a QR code from the Egyptian embassy in the issuing country; or
• Statement indicating the official form of certificates issued in the relevant country through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provided there is mutual recognition of certificates between the Egyptian Ministry of Health and the issuing country.

If the traveler’s vaccination certificate or test certificate does not meet the required standards, a Rapid Antigen Test shall be administered on the traveler. If the RAT result is positive:

• For Egyptians, the condition will be assessed and travelers with no or minor symptoms shall be subjected to house isolation for 10 days. Those with moderate or severe symptoms shall be referred to the hospital.
• For non-Egyptians, the RAT test shall be confirmed using the ID NOW test. If the result is positive, the traveler shall be returned to the country of departure by the carrier.

Sharm El-Sheikh Airport Arrivals:

All travelers must provide a COVID-19 vaccination certificate in accordance with the conditions set in this regard or a negative result of any of COVID-19 tests approved by the Ministry of Health and Population as per the conditions set in this regard. If the vaccination certificate or the test result certificate does not conform to the applicable standards, a Rapid Antigen Test shall be conducted to detect the coronavirus.

If the test result is positive, the traveler shall be allowed to self-isolate at the hotel for five days, followed by a PCR test carried out on the sixth day. If the result is negative, the traveler shall be allowed to terminate the selfisolation. If it is positive, the isolation shall continue for five more days, after which it shall be terminated without the need for further testing.

II. Yellow Fever Vaccination

Travelers coming from areas with a risk of yellow fever transmission must present a valid international certificate of yellow fever vaccination in order to enter Egypt. This applies to all travelers aged 9 months and above, as well as travelers having transited for more than 12 hours through an airport of a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission.

List of countries with risk of yellow fever transmission:

Africa: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, GuineaBissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Eritrea, Rwanda, Somalia, Federal Republic of Tanzania, and Zambia.

South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.