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Updated 14 January 2022

The recently discovered Omicron variant of COVID-19 has sparked global alarm and an increasing panic mainly because of Omicron’s highly distinct genetic profile. First detected in South Africa in early November 2021, the variant has spread over 38 countries worldwide.

How will the Omicron variant affect travel in Qatar? Has the new strain been detected in Qatar yet? Here’s everything we know so far about the variant in Qatar.

B.1.1.529 — What is the Omicron variant?

The B.1.1.529 variant, also known as the Omicron variant, has been classified as a variant of concern by WHO. Studies of the variant are underway as health authorities continue to monitor it. Countries worldwide have implemented travel bans and restrictions for travellers from South Africa and other affected countries to slow the international spread.

 

What are the risks associated with the Omicron variant?

Omicron has a multitude of mutations, and the variant could behave differently than the original version of coronavirus or other variants, such as Delta. A large number of mutations could reduce immunity in vaccinated people and those who were previously infected. But it is also likely that the omicron variant might be more infective in this regard than prior variants.

The variant is spreading widely in South Africa, particularly in Gauteng province, where COVID-19 testing has shown that it is responsible for more than 90 per cent of infections.

While information is currently limited, Omicron’s VOA classification by the WHO was primarily based on many mutations, some of which are concerning. Epidemiological studies and observations are currently underway, and we’ll likely learn more in the coming weeks whether or not the extent of these mutations does indeed correlate with heightening risks of transmissibility and/or severity.

Prof Francois Balloux, director of the Genetics Institute at University College London has said that “Omicron tends to be better able to reinfect people who have been previously infected and received some protection against Covid-19”.

 

What are the symptoms of the Omicron variant?

According to WHO, there is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with the Omicron variant are different from those from other variants. Although, several doctors in South Africa have observed that individuals infected with Omicron seem to show milder symptoms than those in Delta patients. Most patients tend to be asymptomatic, while others suffer from coughs, fatigue, body aches and headaches.

According to WHO, there is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with the Omicron variant are different from those from other variants.

The South African doctor who flagged Omicron noticed a few symptoms, including:

  • extreme tiredness (all age groups).
  • no significant drop in oxygen levels.
  • no reported loss of taste or smell
  • scratchy throat.
  • mild muscle ache.
  • dry cough

As per the WHO, COVID-19 patients will typically exhibit one of these primary symptoms:

  • fever
  • dry cough
  • tiredness

Less common symptoms:

  • aches and pains
  • sore throat
  • diarrhoea
  • conjunctivitis
  • headache
  • loss of taste or smell
  • a rash on the skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes

More serious symptoms:

  • difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
  • loss of speech or mobility, or confusion.
  • chest pain

 

Where has the Omicron variant been detected?

Apart from South Africa and Botswana, confirmed cases of the Omicron variant have been registered in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Canada, Czech Republic, Cuba, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Senegal, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the UAE, the UK, and the US.

Many countries have begun to impose new travel rules in response to Omicron, while some have swiftly closed their borders to South Africa and other affected areas. The possibility of the Omicron variant having already spread undetected to other countries still remains. Several nations have been reporting their first cases of the variant, but the true extent of the Omicron infections is unknown.

Has Qatar recorded any Omicron strain cases?

COVID-19 cases in Qatar have increased to an average of 2,054 per day in January, up from an average of 228 in December. The emergence of the new and more contagious Omicron strain has resulted in a triple increase in new cases in only one week, from 833 on January 1 to 3,487 on January 8. This is Qatar’s largest one-day spike in new cases since the pandemic began in March 2020.

 

Are vaccines effective against the Omicron variant?

Despite the rapid transmission of Omicron variant infections, the virus is categorized as a medium and mild virus especially since more than 85 percent of people in Qatar have received two doses of a vaccine. Although, residents still need to receive vaccine booster doses and stick to the health protocols. Three doses of vaccines will increase their immunity and lower the risk of bad complications if they got infected with the Omicron variant.

 

Omicron variant and travel to Qatar

Following the outbreak of the new Covid-19 variant, Qatar has updated its ‘Travel and Return Policy.’ The authorities have now added Covaxin to their list of ‘Conditionally Approved Covid-19 Vaccine’s within its Travel and Return Policy. However, the Serology Antibody test with a positive result is mandatory before landing in Qatar.

Therefore, the list of approved vaccines in Qatar include:

  • Pfizer / BioNTech (Comirnaty) – Two Doses
  • Moderna (SpikeVax) – Two Doses
  • AstraZeneca (Covishield / Oxford / Vaxzevria​) – Two Doses
  • Jansen / Johnson & Johnson (only one dose)

On the other hand, Qatar’s ‘conditionally approved vaccines’ list has been updated to include:

  • Sinopharm -Two Doses
  • Sinovac – Two Doses
  • Sputnik V – Two Doses
  • Covaxin – Two Doses

Travellers jabbed with the following list of conditionally approved vaccines must take the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and after 14 days from the last dose to be considered fully immune

Qatar’s Latest Travel Restriction

Exceptional red list countries

Qatar has updated its ‘Exceptional Red-List’ to include sixteen countries:

Currently, there are nine countries in Qatar’s exceptional red-list countries:

  • Bangladesh
  • Egypt
  • India
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Botswana
  • Lesotho
  • Namibia
  • Zimbabwe

Citizens

Fully vaccinated arrivals (all age groups).​

  • Will have to conduct a negative PCR test within 72 hours before arrival in Qatar.
  • These travellers will be subject to a home quarantine for 2 days upon arrival in the country.
  • Conduct a Rapid Antigen Test on day 2 of home quarantine; They will be released on the same day if the result of the COVID-19 test is negative (All age groups).​

Unvaccinated arrivals

  • Will have to conduct a negative PCR test within 72 hours before arrival in Qatar.
  • Unvaccinated travellers will be subject to a home quarantine for 7 days upon arrival in the country.
  • A Rapid Antigen Test is required on the seventh day of quarantine and the individual will be released on the seventh day if the result of the COVID-19 test is negative (all age groups).

Residents of Qatar and GCC citizens

Fully vaccinated arrivals

  • Will have to conduct a negative PCR test within 72 hours before arrival in Qatar.
  • These travellers will be subject to hotel quarantine for 2 days upon arrival in Qatar.
  • Conduct a Rapid Antigen Test on day 2 of hotel quarantine and the individual will be released on the same day if the result of the COVID-19 test is negative (All age groups).​

Unvaccinated arrivals

  • Will have to conduct a negative PCR test within 72 hours before arrival in Qatar.
  • These travellers will be subject to hotel quarantine for 7 days upon arrival in Qatar.
  • A Rapid Antigen Test is required on the seventh day  of quarantine and the individual will be released on the seventh day if the result of the COVID-19 test is negative (all age groups).

Visitors to Qatar with pre-approved and on-arrival visas (all ages)

Fully vaccinated arrivals (all age groups)

  • Will have to conduct a negative PCR test within 72 hours before arrival in Qatar.
  • These travellers will be subject to hotel quarantine for 2 days upon arrival in Qatar.
  • A PCR test will be performed on the first day at the quarantine hotel after arrival (all age groups).​

Please note that unvaccinated visitors from ‘exceptional red-list’ countries will NOT be allowed entry into Qatar.

Travel from other countries

Green list countries

As per the new guidelines, Qatar’s green list has been updated to include 143 countries and will have to follow some rules given below:

Citizens and residents

Fully- vaccinated arrivals

  • Qatari citizens residents who are fully vaccinated will be exempt from the seven-day quarantine and are exempted from the requirement of a negative PCR result within 72 hours before arrival to Qatar.
  • Citizens with a conditionally certified vaccine must perform a Serology Antibody test before arriving in Qatar and if the passenger is unable to take the test in the country of departure, the passenger must undergo home quarantine for 7 days.
  • They must take a PCR test within 36 hours of arrival. ​Children aged 3 years and below accompanying one or both parents who are fully vaccinated are exempt from this requirement.

Unvaccinated arrivals

  • They will have to undergo a PCR test with a negative result 72 hours before arrival to Qatar (all age groups).
  • Will be subject to home quarantine for seven days upon arrival in the country.
  • A Rapid Antigen test is required on the seventh day of quarantine and the individual will be released on the seventh day if the result of the COVID-19 test is negative.

GCC citizens

Fully-vaccinated arrivals

  • They will have to undergo a PCR test with a negative result within 72 hours before arrival to Qatar (all age groups).
  • Children aged 3 years and below accompanying one or both parents who are fully vaccinated are exempt from this requirement.

Unvaccinated arrivals

  • They will have to undergo a PCR test with a negative result within 72 hours before arrival to Qatar (all age groups).
  • Will be subject to hotel quarantine for seven days upon arrival in the country. GCC citizens (non-residents) coming to stay with first-degree relatives residing in Qatar (on the condition that they provide proof of the relationship and national address data), will, however, be subject to home quarantine for seven days, upon arrival in the country.
  • A Rapid Antigen Test is required on the seventh day of quarantine and the individual will be released on the seventh day if the result of the COVID-19 test is negative.

Visitors to Qatar with pre-approved and on-arrival visas

Fully- vaccinated arrivals

  • They will have to undergo a PCR test with a negative result within 72 hours before arrival to Qatar (all age groups).
  • Children aged 3 years and below accompanying one or both parents who are fully vaccinated are exempt from this requirement.

Unvaccinated arrivals

  • They will have to undergo a PCR test with a negative result within 72 hours before arrival to Qatar (all age groups).
  • Will be subject to hotel quarantine for seven days upon arrival in the country. Travellers with pre-issued family visas to visit one of their first-degree relatives residing in Qatar (on the condition that they provide proof of the relationship and national address data), will, however, be subject to home quarantine for seven days, upon arrival in the country.
  • A Rapid Antigen test is required on the seventh day of quarantine and the individual will be released on the seventh day if the result of the COVID-19 test is negative.

Red list countries

Qatar’s red-list has been updated to include 57 countries, and arrivals from these countries will have to go through the following guidelines for entry into the country:

Citizens and residents

Fully-vaccinated arrivals

  • They will have to undergo a PCR test with a negative result within 72 hours before arrival to Qatar (all age groups).
  • They will have to conduct a PCR test within 36 hours of arriving in Qatar (all age groups).

Unvaccinated arrivals

  • They will have to undergo a PCR test with a negative result within 72 hours before arrival to Qatar (all age groups).
  • Will be subject to home quarantine for seven days upon arrival in the country.
  • A Rapid Antigen Test is required on the seventh day of quarantine and the individual will be released on the seventh day if the result of the COVID-19 test is negative.

GCC citizens

Fully vaccinated arrivals

  • They will have to undergo a PCR test with a negative result within 72 hours before arrival to Qatar (all age groups).
  • Will be subject to hotel quarantine for two days upon arrival in the country.
  • Will have to conduct a PCR test at the quarantine hotel (all age groups).

Unvaccinated arrivals

  • They will have to undergo a PCR test with a negative result within 72 hours before arrival to Qatar (all age groups).
  • Will be subject to hotel quarantine for seven days upon arrival in the country. GCC citizens (non-residents) coming to stay with first-degree relatives residing in Qatar (on the condition that they provide proof of the relationship and national address data), will, however, be subject to home quarantine for seven days, upon arrival in the country.
  • A Rapid Antigen test is required on the seventh day of quarantine and the individual will be released on the seventh day if the result of the COVID-19 test is negative (all age groups).

Visitors to Qatar with pre-approved and on-arrival visas

Fully vaccinated arrivals (all age groups).​

  • They will have to undergo a PCR test with a negative result within 72 hours before arrival to Qatar (all age groups).
  • The following categories will be subject to hotel quarantine for two days upon arrival in the country:
    • Everyone aged 12 years and older.
    • Children aged 11 years and below are accompanied by one or both of their parents/family members who are fully vaccinated.​
  • Conduct a Rapid Antigen Test on day 2 of hotel quarantine and the individual will be released on the same day if the result of the COVID-19 test is negative (All age groups).

Unvaccinated arrivals

    • They will have to undergo a PCR test with a negative result within 72 hours before arrival to Qatar (all age groups).
    • Will be subject to hotel quarantine for seven days upon arrival in the country. Travellers with pre-issued family visas to visit one of their first-degree relatives residing in Qatar (on the condition that they provide proof of the relationship and national address data), will, however, be subject to home quarantine for seven days, upon arrival in the country.
    • Rapid Antigen Test is required on the seventh day of quarantine and the individual will be released on the seventh day if the result of the COVID-19 test is negative (all age groups)

VTL with Singapore deferred

In an effort to mitigate the spread of the omicron variant, Singapore has deferred its Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) arrangements with the UAE along with Qatar and Saudi Arabia.  

The air VTL with Singapore, originally scheduled for 6 December, would have allowed Qatari travellers quarantine-free travel to Singapore and vice versa. However, due to the developing situation, said VTL has now been put on hold indefinitely as per the announcement made by Singapore’s Ministry of Health.