UAE extends restrictions for tourists

Dubai has announced new precautionary measures for hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and entertainment venues as the city intensifies its fight against the coronavirus pandemic’s spread, Report informs, referring to Arabian Business.

Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management said the measures will be effective from Feb. 2 and will run until the end of February.

"Daily reports have shown a marked increase in the number of violations of precautionary measures,’ the committee said.

In a release by Dubai Media Office, the committee said that hotels must operate at a maximum 70 percent capacity for the rest of this month, with new bookings complying with the new capacity limit.

It added that shopping malls must also operate at 70 percent capacity while restaurants and cafes are required to close by 1 a.m. while all pubs and bars are to close for the remainder of the month.

A 50 percent reduction in capacity will also be imposed on indoor seated venues, including cinemas and entertainment and sports venues. In comparison, the swimming pools and private beaches in hotels must be limited to 70 percent of the average capacity.

The committee also said it would introduce stricter penalties for ‘deliberately disregarding’ the measures, although it did not immediately say what the penalties would be.

Intensified monitoring and inspection campaigns will be conducted to ensure strict compliance with precautionary measures and safety protocols, including physical distancing and wearing of facemasks.

The committee said the public’s commitment to fully complying with authorities’ precautionary measures and guidelines is critical to counter the pandemic’s repercussions on public health, the economy, and society.