Children, elderly prohibited from entering malls and supermarkets in the UAE

Children under the age of 12 and adults over 60 are prohibited from entering shopping malls, cooperative societies and supermarkets in the UAE as part of the Covid-19 precautionary measures in place across the country.

These individuals are also not allowed to enter retails stores outside shopping centres, said the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHaP) and the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) in a joint announcement on Tuesday.

As part of the precautionary measures of the re-opening, #NCEMA and Ministry of Health have stated that people over the age of 60 & children below 12 are prohibited from entering shopping malls, cooperative societies, supermarkets or retail stores located outside shopping centres

— NCEMA UAE (@NCEMAUAE) May 5, 2020

Following the national disinfection drive, restrictions on movements of residents in the UAE were partially relaxed and shopping malls and commercial outlets were reopened, but with specific guidelines in place.

In Dubai, shopping malls, markets and commercial outlets are open daily to the public from 12pm to 10pm.

Malls and retail outlets are not allowed to hold entertainment events to avoid congestion and crowding.

Read: Dubai eases movement restrictions, allows malls and offices to partially reopen

Only 25 per cent of the parking spaces are open in order to reduce overcrowding in malls. The public have been advised to visit a mall only when absolutely necessary.

Sterilisation operations will continue inside malls with visitors subject to temperature checks at entrances and they are required to wear masks as a condition for entering a mall.

Malls are also required to make sterilisers widely available to ensure the highest level of protection for visitors and workers.

All shopping malls will have a medical isolation room for emergency purposes in case someone is suspected to be infected with the virus.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) meanwhile issued a circular ordering owners and managers of commercial centres and shopping malls in the emirate 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.

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

In Abu Dhabi, visitors and mall employees must pass through the main entrances of the commercial centres and malls where thermal scanning cameras have been set up.

Any person experiencing fever or high body temperature is denied entry.

As of May 5, the UAE has reported 462 new Covid-19 cases, resulting from more than 28,000 tests conducted on citizens and residents in various regions of the country.

Read: UAE reports 462 Covid-19 cases; total crosses 15,000

MoHAP also confirmed the deaths of nine individuals, taking the overall death toll to 146.
The ministry also reported 187 additional recoveries, and therefore as many as 3,153 people have now overcome the virus.