Coronavirus news bulletin from UAE: Students can continue e-learning; Wedding entry for Covid-negative guests; Dubai schools collect travel, health forms

Abu Dhabi - A round-up of major developments related to Covid-19 across the country.

Here's a round-up of all the latest Covid-19 developments you need to know:
UAE reports 210 Covid-19 cases, 123 recoveries, 3 deaths
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Sunday reported 210 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 123 recoveries. Three deaths were also reported. More than 65,000 new Covid-19 tests have been carried out in the country so far, the ministry said, taking the total to nearly six million tests. Yesterday, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, paid glowing tributes to Dubai's Covid-19 Command and Control Centre. This came as the Dubai Ruler met the team at the Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences. Sheikh Mohammed noted that the unsung heroes on the team worked heroically to contain the pandemic, treat the infected, ensure capacity at hospitals and define precautionary measures to keep residents safe.
Students can continue e-learning when schools across UAE reopen
Parents have been given the option to choose in-person or remote learning for their children when schools reopen across the UAE in the new academic year. In a statement, the Ministry of Education (MoE) said on Sunday that classes will resume on August 30. Campus learning will be implemented in line with the "highest standards of health and safety in the school environment". "According to the latest developments and based on the current health conditions, careful plans have been made to ensure a gradual return to (in-person learning) ... in all UAE schools without exception," said the MoE. "Parents have been allowed to freely choose their children's model of attendance - face-to-face at school or through distance learning for the first term."
5 reopening models specified for 205 Abu Dhabi schools
Private schools in the UAE Capital can opt for one of five models when campuses reopen in the new academic year. Education regulator Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) has specified these models: >Full in-class (face-to-face) learning with students going to school every day; >Partial in-class learning with students going to school daily for reduced number of hours; >Alternating days model, with two days a week for in-class learning; >Alternating weeks model, with two weeks for in-class learning and two for e-learning; >Hybrid model: In-class learning for two days, and three for e-learning in the first week; and three days for in-class learning and two for e-learning the following week. Parents can also opt for 100 per cent e-learning in the first term, subject to prior coordination with the schools.
Emirati family asks wedding guests for negative Covid-19 result to attend event
An Emirati family did not take any chances when they celebrated their daughter's wedding in an intimate affair. Besides inviting only a few of their closest relatives - they made it mandatory for each of them to present a valid negative Covid-19 test result.The small, private wedding was held recently in Ras Al Khaimah's Maamura area. "Guests were asked to do a Covid-19 test and present a negative certificate - instead of the regular invitation card - to be allowed in the wedding," said Dr Juma Hassan Al Mullah Al Mansuri, the father of the bride.The number of guests was limited to 25, in line with the rules set by the authorities, and all other safety measures were followed to the letter. Physical distancing was observed throughout the function, which meant there were no hugs or handshakes. Masks must be worn at all times and sanitisers were readily available, Al Mansuri said.
60% of UAE parents ready to send kids to school: Survey
More than 60 per cent of parents in the UAE are willing to send their children to school once in-campus classes resume from the new academic year, a new survey has revealed. About 49 per cent would send their wards to school even if it resumes with 100 per cent students. The YouGov survey commissioned by Centrepoint covered over 500 respondents. Reacting to the survey results, a mother of two, Brazilian expat Carolina Oliveira, said: "I am actually quite open to the idea of sending my child to school every day. We are working parents and it works better for us if our children are in school. Frankly, I have no worries pertaining to Covid-19 as I am quite sure that the schools and the KHDA (Knowledge and Human Development Authority) will implement proper safety protocols as children return to schools physically."
Dubai schools start collecting travel, health forms from students
Schools in Dubai have started collecting travel and health declaration forms from staff and students ahead of reopening on August 30.The collected data will be assessed to ensure that students who have opted for on-campus learning meet the return criteria. Dubai's education regulator Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) had earlier mandated schools to collect the forms that detail travel history and existing diseases, among other information. Students and staff returning to schools in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah need to present a Covid-negative result before joining. School leaders said the data collected from the forms will help "filter relevant information" to enable a safe reopening.

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