Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday announced the easing of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the option to wear a mask and abolish the distance between worshipers, effective from Wednesday, September 28.
The National Authority for Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management in the Emirates said, in a statement, that it has eased a number of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic at the state level.
The use of mask in indoor public places has been in effect for two and a half years.
Updated rules are
- The wearing of the face mask is optional in public places but is still mandatory in medical facilities, mosques and on public transport. Masks will be optional in schools.
- Wearing mask onboard the flights will no longer be mandatory, but airlines can enforce the rule if they believe necessary
- All food service providers in the UAE and the injured and suspected cases must wear masks, in order to preserve the safety of society.
- The procedures followed for the requirements of mosques and places of worship were eased, as the distance between worshipers was abolished, with the need to adhere to prayer on the personal carpet in order to preserve public health.
- The authority will stop announcing the daily numbers of COVID developments, provided that it is committed to providing its updated data on the official website of the Ministry of Health and Community Protection.
- With regard to the health sector in the UAE, it also decided to reduce the period of isolation to five days, whether the isolation was domestic or institutional, while the employer bears the responsibility for institutional isolation.
- It is mandatory to conduct a periodic examination every month for those who are vaccinated and who are exempted from the conditions of vaccination, and to conduct a periodic examination every seven days for those who are not vaccinated.
- The green traffic system is still a mandatory condition for employees and visitors to enter the workplaces of the federal authorities in the Emirates, in addition to linking the green traffic system to workers in the tourism and economic sector.
The authority said, since the beginning of the pandemic, the UAE has made exceptional and tangible efforts to preserve lives and gains.
According to the latest official data for COVID-19 statistics in the Emirates, the total recorded cases amounted to 1.03 million cases, including 2,343 deaths.
