Covid: New Dubai rules for close contacts

Dubai - A new circular for Dubai government employees detailed how quarantine periods are deducted from leaves.

By Web report

Published: Tue 26 Jan 2021, 2:32 PM

Last updated: Tue 26 Jan 2021, 2:44 PM

Dubai government employees who have had close contact with a Covid-positive patient will have to either work remotely for 10 days or deduct the quarantine period from their leaves. If they do not have any leaves left, their absence shall be considered unpaid leave, according to an official circular reported by Arabic daily Al Bayan.

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The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) had earlier announced that anyone who have come in contact with a confirmed Covid case will have to quarantine for 10 days from the date of the last contact with the infected person.

The new circular from the Dubai Government Human Resources Department detailed how these quarantine periods are deducted from employees’ leaves, according to Al Bayan.

If a person has been exposed to a Covid case, he will have to work from home for 10 days, provided that his duties allow him to do so, the department said. If remote work is not possible, the person will have to avail of a 10-day emergency leave.

However, the second time the person gets in contact with a case, the quarantine period shall be deducted from his/her vacation leaves — even if he or she can work from home. And if the employee does not have any leave days left, the absence will be considered unpaid leave, the report said.

The department called on all entities to strictly abide by the rules in the circular and help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

It also reiterated that employees’ who had been in contact with a Covid case should immediately report the situation to his direct manager or their HR department. Withholding the information is considered an administrative violation that could lead to legal consequences, the authority warned.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com