Abu Dhabi mall employees to be tested for Covid-19; new guidelines for customers visiting shopping centres

The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has issued a new circular ordering owners and managers of commercial centres and shopping malls in Abu Dhabi to screen all its in-store employees for Covid-19 and obtain a negative result for the virus before being allowed to re-open their stores.

ADDED said that the testing of the employees would be carried out in coordination with the Department of Health (DoH) at one of medical body’s designated examination centres.

Alternatively, the health department will identify times and places where tests can be carried out inside the commercial facilities that wish to reopen.

It added that the conducting of these tests would be the primary condition for the businesses to be granted permits to resume their commercial activities.

The circular was issued to owners of shopping malls as well as commercial centres in the emirate’s three regions including Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

Additionally, the circular also noted fresh guidelines for customers visiting these shopping centres.

All shoppers must pass through the main entrances of the commercial centres and malls, where thermal scanning cameras have been set up, reported news agency WAM.

Any person experiencing fever or high body temperature shall be denied entry.

The same procedures and rules are to be applied for employees of these commercial centres before they begin their daily shifts.

Since the outbreak, the country has reported a total of 10,839 cases, including 8,667 active cases and 2,090 people who have now recovered as well as 82 fatalities.

Read: UAE reports 490 new Covid-19 cases, 6 deaths