All schools and universities in UAE will operate at 100 per cent capacity starting January next year, with all Covid-19 safety measures in place. The announcement was made on Tuesday at the weekly Covid-19 briefing.

Authorities have recommended that all eligible teachers, support staff, and pupils must get third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine administered to gain protection from the new virus variants.

“We have studied the developments during the first term. All schools complied with precautionary measures to ensure a safe return of the pupils,” a government spokesman said at the briefing. “There has also been a sharp drop in the number of daily cases in the country and it is safe for all pupils and students to return to the classroom in January — the beginning of the second term.”

"We laud the efforts of administrative and teaching staff who adhered to all procedures aimed at ensuring the health and safety of everyone in educational establishments."

School buses will also be able to operate at 100 per cent capacity, but bus operators must ensure all staff and pupils on board are wearing masks and there is proper ventilation in the bus. Medical tests will also be conducted at schools, in line with regulations.

Schools will also be permitted to host events to which parents may be invited, while following all preventive measures. Parents should have the ‘E’ status on their Al Hosn app and also take a PCR test within 96 hours. PE lessons in schools can also resume at full capacity.

All university students should be vaccinated to enter dormitories. Those who are not medically fit to get vaccinated should present a negative Covid-19 test result every week.

“All educational facilities at the state level will be monitored to ensure the application of precautionary and preventive measures by the competent authorities and in co-operation with the Ministry of Education,” the spokesman said.

Dubai's private schools have ended online learning on October 3. Schools in Sharjah have also started operating at 100 per cent capacity.