UAE Covid rules: Over 30,000 violations so far this year

More than 30,000 violations of Covid safety violations have been recorded in the UAE since the beginning of this year, a top official said on Wednesday.

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According to Dr Seif Al Dhaheri, spokesperson for the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), the most prominent violations were:

>> Failure to wear masks.

>> Failure to adhere to precautionary and preventive measures in commercial establishments.

>> Failure to adhere to physical distancing in public places.

>> Carrying more than the permissible number of people in cars (three).

>> Crowded gatherings. (Latest rules on gatherings here.)

"We would like to emphasise the importance of adhering to all precautionary measures, in order to ensure the safety and health of our society and to preserve the gains. All relevant authorities at the state level monitor and track violations of previously announced procedures," he said.

Addressing a Press briefing on Wednesday, the official added: “The success of the national efforts that we see has been the product of collaboration among sectors at a national level. 110 national protocols have been developed and published covering several areas and are in line with local protocols and directives."

Vaccination priority

Dr Farida Al Hosani, spokesperson for the UAE’s government health sector, said the Ministry of Health and Prevention had decided that all vaccination centres will be temporarily allocated to receive the elderly and people with chronic diseases.

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“With the increase in the number new Covid-19 cases and deaths over the past weeks, especially among the elderly and those with chronic diseases, it is our duty to protect them by avoiding transmitting the virus to them. It’s a humanitarian duty to protect them as the virus is transmitted to them by younger people who neglect preventive measures,” said Al Hosani.

Covid-19 tests

She said the UAE is continuing with its mass testing with the aim of tracking and reducing the spread of the virus. The total number of tests now exceed 27 million. “This is a remarkable achievement to adopt a pilot model in the face of the pandemic and to mitigate its effects on society,” she said.

Officials said the UAE’s humanitarian efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic were not only aimed internally, but the nation led the aid to affected countries around the world.

• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi