New Covid rules from June 6: UAE events open only to vaccinated residents

All kinds of events and exhibitions in the UAE are restricted to Covid-vaccinated residents only, a top official announced on Tuesday.

These include sports, cultural, social and art events. This is part of new Covid safety rules that come into effect from June 6.

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Addressing the weekly Covid-19 briefing, Dr Farida Al Hosani, official spokesperson for the UAE Health Sector, said attendees would need to present a Covid-negative result of a PCR test taken no more than 48 hours prior to attending the events.

Residents must have the active letter E on the UAE’s Covid tracing app Al Hosn to gain entry to events.

Vaccinated residents get the letter E on the Al Hosn app 28 days after receiving the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. It remains active for only seven days after. To renew the status, they would need to take a Covid-19 PCR test, which extends it for another seven days.

Attendees would need to wear masks and ensure they maintain adequate social distancing.

Dr Al Hosani announced that more than 78.11 per cent of eligible residents of the country have received the Covid vaccine. Close to 85 per cent of the elderly have received the jab, Al Hosani added.

In April, the UAE had announced that it is considering the possibility of imposing movement restrictions on residents who have not taken the Covid-19 vaccine despite being eligible to do so.

Authorities in Dubai had last week said that events and some venues are open to only fully vaccinated residents. These include live entertainment and activities; concerts and events; weddings, bars and sports events.

The UAE has administered over 12.29 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. With a dose administration rate of 124.31 per 100 people, the country has the highest vaccination rate globally.

The country is well on track to vaccinating 100 per cent of all eligible groups by the end of 2021.

Covid vaccines are available for free in centres across the country. The minimum age to get the Pfizer-BioNTech jab is 12, while Sinopharm is administered to anyone aged above 16 years.

sahim@khaleejtimes.com