Abu Dhabi is reopening malls and shopping centers just as Dubai too has, on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan, under strict guidelines and subject to approval by Abu Dhabhi Department of Economic Development.
Customers are required to follow the precautionary guidelines for visiting, shopping and dining. Masks and gloves must be worn, and shoppers are advised to bring their own bags from home.
Malls in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi undertook an array of measures like deep cleaning, sanitisation activities and installing temperature scanning equipment prior to their opening.
The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) sent out circulars outlining a number of precautionary measures, including mandatory operating hours and limits on employees and customer capacity. As per the guidelines:
- Malls in Abu Dhabi will only be open to the public between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m.
- Pharmacies and money exchange houses will be allowed to operate from 9 a.m. till midnight.
"ADDED is pleased to announce the guidelines and precautionary measures for the preparation of reopening the malls and shopping centers in Abu Dhabi" read the tweet.
Under strict guidelines issued by both ADDED and the Dubai Economic Development (DED) several rules need to be followed in both the emirates:
- Children and old people are banned hence entry will be denied to visitors above the age of 60 and children between the ages of two and 13 will be barred from entering.
- The visitor volume will be limited to 30 percent of the mall’s capacity, with visitors allowed a maximum of three hours inside the mall.
- All touch screens will be disabled
- Available parking spaces will be cut by 50 percent in Abu Dhabi and 75 percent in Dubai.
ADDED's tweet titled "WeAreCommited", said, ".. The precautionary measures will be applied simultaneously to ensure risk mitigation of viral contamination in line with the directions of the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority."
Employers not sending their workers for COVID-19 testing will be fined
ADDED has released another circular with a directive that all workers at commercial and industrial facilities in Abu Dhabi must get tested for Covid-19.
Company owners who did not commit to sending their workers for medical testing have been warned that the department's inspectors have the judicial authority to issue a Dh5,000 fine for non-compliance.
The fine amount would be doubled for repeat offenders while the violator would be referred to the Emergency and Crisis Prosecution for a third-time offence.
The department’s circular stated that facilities that don't comply with the directive could even be closed for six months.
Workshops to ensure the health and safety of staff at the malls will be conducted said the Abu Dhabi government media office in a series of tweets.
Employers, owners and managers of commercial and industrial establishments have also been instructed to commit towards the precautionary measures spelt out by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) and the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHaP), to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The UAE has recorded a decline in the number of new Covid-19 cases on Monday, April 27. The number dipped below 500 cases for the first time in five days.
