Abu Dhabi: Only vaccinated individuals will be allowed to enter most public places

Officials in Abu Dhabi said on Monday, June 28, that plans have been drawn up to bar entry to most public spaces for unvaccinated individuals.

Starting Friday, August 20, 2021, entry to a number of places in the emirate will be permitted only to those who have received their Covid-19 vaccine, stated the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee.

In the first phase of the directive, it will include restricted access to shopping centres, restaurants, cafes, and all other retail outlets, including those not within a shopping centre, with the exception of supermarkets and pharmacies.

Also, within the first phase, unvaccinated individuals will not be permitted to enter gyms, recreational facilities and sporting activities, health clubs, resorts, museums, cultural centres and theme parks, as well as universities, institutes, public and private schools and children’s nurseries in the emirate.

The Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee has approved allowing only those vaccinated to enter some public places, after vaccinating 93 per cent of target groups in the emirate and to preserve public health. pic.twitter.com/KUGz9YWqTa

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) June 28, 2021

The committee added that the directive does not apply to unvaccinated individuals who have a vaccination exemption certificate received through the approved process and registered on Alhosn app, nor is it applicable to children aged 15 and under.

Read: UAE declares eligibility criteria for Covid-19 vaccine exemptions

Earlier this month, Abu Dhabi had said that starting June 15th, the Alhosn green pass would be mandatory for access to shopping malls, large supermarkets, gyms, hotels, public parks and beaches, private beaches and swimming pools, entertainment centres, cinemas, museums, restaurants and cafés. However, following a technical issue, it later suspended that directive.

Read also: Abu Dhabi makes Alhosn green pass mandatory for entry to public spaces including malls, restaurants and cinemas

Over 93 per cent of the target group in Abu Dhabi have already been vaccinated, according to a statement by the Abu Dhabi Media Office.

The committee emphasised that the decision is part of proactive measures put in place by the emirate which also includes pre-emptive testing campaigns in industrial areas and densely populated areas.

Abu Dhabi has approved the use of EDE scanners to detect Covid-19 infections, and will roll them out across several areas within the emirate. The scanners can detect a possible Covid-19 infection by measuring electromagnetic waves, which change when the RNA particles of the virus are present in the person’s body, therefore providing an immediate result.

Read more: Video: Abu Dhabi approves Covid-19 scanners after trial, to roll them out at malls, residential areas

The committee said that it will continue to evaluate all measures as the situation evolves and stressed the importance of committing to precautionary measures as well as choosing to vaccine. The Alpha, Beta and Delta strains are currently the most prevalent Covid-19 mutations in the country, together accounting for 84.4 per cent of all infections.

Read: Covid-19: Delta variant accounts for a third of all infections in the UAE

The total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered as of June 28 stands at 15,111,234 with a vaccine distribution rate of 152.79 doses per 100 people. Health officials said earlier this week that of the total number of individuals who have been infected, 16 per cent were vaccinated, while 84 per cent were unvaccinated. Among those who required hospitalisation, 11 per cent were vaccinated while 89 per cent were unvaccinated.