Combating coronavirus: New initiative to keep tabs on Sharjah shoppers

sharjah - Volunteers will be deployed in malls, shopping centres and food outlets.

Volunteers will be deployed in malls, shopping centres and food outlets to raise awareness about Covid-19 among shoppers and keep a check on them to ensure that preventive measures and physical distancing norms are adhered to under a new initiative 'Sharjah Covid-Free'. It has been launched by the Department of Sharjah Social Services (DSSS), in cooperation with Sharjah Department of Economic Development.
The initiative comes following announcement of reopening of businesses in Sharjah.

Hessa Al Hammadi, director of the Department of Community Solidarity at DSSS, said: "Under the initiative, the volunteers will interact with visitors and shoppers and make sure that precautionary and preventive measures to stymie the spread of Covid are followed."

Al Hammadi said that the DSSS seeks to attract volunteers and register them through the Sharjah Centre for Volunteering platform. "There are a number of volunteering opportunities open for community members in which they can participate to serve the nation during crises," she added.

Al Hamadi said that 'Sharjah Covid-Free' initiative is currently making efforts to attract about 70 volunteers. She noted that volunteers will be trained and provided with the necessary guidance and awareness (information) on ways to prevent the spread of the virus in the shopping complexes.
 
Abdulaziz Omar Al-Midfa, deputy director of the governmental communications department at the Department of Economic Development in Sharjah, said: "This initiative comes as part of the department's keenness to implement the anti-Covid measures in commercial/economic establishments."

• Sharjah