UAE to reopen mosques, places of worship on July 1

Mosques and other places of worship will be reopened across the UAE at 30 per cent capacity on July 1, it was announced on Monday.

All places of worship, including mosques, were closed on March 16 to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Read: Prayers at mosques, other places of worship suspended in the UAE

As a continuation of the precautionary measures, mosques will not be open for Friday prayers, confirmed Saif Al Dhaheri, spokesperson for the UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA).

Also, certain mosques located in industrial areas, labour residential areas, shopping malls and public parks will remain closed until further notice.

UAE health authorities have already conducted Covid-19 tests for imams and workers serving at mosques, he stated.

Certain guidelines have been issued for worshippers:

* Ablutions to be performed at home
* Maintain a distance of 3 metres
* No handshakes and gatherings allowed
* Bring personal copies of the Quran and prayer mats
* Wear a face mask at all times, frequently sanitise hands
* Download and activate contract tracing Al Hosn app

“We urge the public to cooperate by following precautionary measures including social distancing. Children under 12 years old, the elderly as well as individuals with chronic diseases should avoid going to mosques,” said Al Dhaheri.

Dr. Al Dhaheri: We urge the public to cooperate by following precautionary measures including social distancing. Children under 12 years old, the elderly as well as individuals with chronic diseases should avoid going to mosques. #UAEGov

— UAEGov (@uaegov) June 29, 2020

Officials also announced that private and commercial boat trips and water sports will be allowed to operate at a reduced capacity of 50 per cent, provided they follow precautionary measures.

The UAE reported 449 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, taking the total number of infections in the country to 48,246.

The new cases were identified after 43,551 additional tests were conducted across the country. The new cases identified are undergoing treatment.

Officials also confirmed that one more Covid patient died, taking the death toll to 314.

Meanwhile the total number of recovered cases has reached 37,076, with 665 cases recoveries on Monday.

Since the beginning of June, the UAE has had a daily recovery average of 660 cases.

Dr. Al Shamsi: With 77% of cases recovered, the currently infected cases who are still undergoing treatment are 10,856 as of today. #UAEGov

— UAEGov (@uaegov) June 29, 2020