After 2.5 years, it’s time to breathe easy Dubai residents! UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (Ncema) announced earlier today that wearing facemasks is no longer mandatory in all indoor public places.
Wondering when you can bid adieu to masks? September 28 onwards, rules surrounding face masks in the country will ease up. While donning masks in public spaces will be optional, wearing masks will continue to be mandatory in medical facilities, mosques, and on public transport.
This is the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020 that restrictions surrounding face masks have been lifted completely. Scrapping of face masks are just one of the many updates surrounding COVID-19 rules. Wednesday onwards, infected inndividuals will only be required to isolate for five days whether they’re staying at home or at a medical facility.
Moving forward, school teachers and students too can skip masking up in schools and educational institutions. So masks are one less item to add to your back-to-school shopping lists!
If you plan to travel to Abu Dhabi for work or play, there’s good news: the Al Hosn green pass need only be refreshed with a PCR test every month if you’re vaccinated. Previously, the Al Hosn app had to be updated every 14 days. Unvaccinated individuals will require to show a negative PCR test every seven days to gain entry.
With the UAE’s steady decline in COVID-19 cases, masks have slowly been on the way out with mandatory wearing of masks limited to indoor venues such as cinema theatres, restaurants and offices starting February 26, 2022.
This is a triumphant moment for the UAE as doing away with mask completely is a result of zero deaths being registered in three months, combined with a steady decline in daily reported cases of COVID-19.
As a result, the UAE will now stop daily announcements regarding the number of COVID-19 cases. Updates and statistics on the country’s current cases will now only be published on the official websites Ministry of Health and Prevention, NCEMA and the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority.
With the weather taking a turn for the better and events and outdoor activities mushrooming around the city, we’re thrilled that the pandemic is on its way to becoming a thing of the past. However, make note that event organisers are have the discretion to formulate their own rules regarding masking up. While we’re glad to see the last of masks, they’re no denying that we’ll miss the anonymity they offered. Do you have mixed feelings about stepping back into the old normal