The UAE government has urged all children aged three and above to wear face masks in order to stay safe from COVID-19. Furthermore, children under the age of three are required to wear face shields.

The remarks were made by Dr. Farida Al Hosani, official spokesperson of the UAE Health Sector and Director of the Communicable Diseases Department of the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC), during a recent virtual discussion hosted by the Ministry of Justice.

Dr. Al Hosani also called on UAE residents and citizens to avoid taking their children to crowded public places, such as playgrounds. Furthermore, she underlined the need for using licensed medical face masks to prevent COVID-19 virus transmission.

Previously, the UAE authorities had issued an order that children with breathing issues or chronic illnesses are not required to wear masks. The officials had also exempted children who have difficulty in removing face masks on their own from following the protocol.

While the possibility of children contracting the COVID-19 virus is significantly less, they can be potential carriers of the virus and infect other individuals, Dr. Al Hosani noted.

Meanwhile, the Health Sector spokesperson has encouraged all residents to receive their COVID-19 vaccine doses, affirming that the UAE has the best vaccines in the world.