The National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) has announced new updates to the COVID-19 preventive measures and the operating capacities for Dubai establishments

UAE's strategy is to strike a balance between maintaining public health and resuming activities in vital sectors, supporting efforts to recovery, and gradually resume all activities in the country.

The announcement explained that shopping centres, restaurants, and cafes of Dubai can now operate at an 80% capacity, increasing the seating limit to 10 persons per table. However, face masks are still mandatory while moving through such establishments.

Moreover, hotel establishments can operate at total capacity while preserving precautionary measures, including social distancing and face masks.

Cinemas, recreational facilities, galleries and museums will be allowed an 80% operating capacity. In contrast, the functional capacity for events is set to 60%, provided social distancing, face masks and regular sanitisation guidelines are still observed.

Meanwhile, NCEMA raised the operating capacity of wedding and event halls to 60%, provided the number of attendees per event is not more than 300, and all preventive measures are implemented. Public transportation means will operate at a 75% capacity, with physical distancing markings applied by the concerned authorities. At the same time, face masks remain obligatory when using public transportation.

NCEMA also urged establishments to use the 'green pass' protocol for specific categories of events and activities to help contain the spread of the virus. NCEMA called on all community members of Dubai to cooperate and adhere to all preventive measures to help curb the spread of the pandemic in the coming period.

To conclude the Authority stated that the emergency, crisis and disaster management committees and teams in each emirate will be responsible for determining the operating capacities allowed in the emirate and changing precautionary and preventive measures as they deem necessary.

WAM