The Dubai Mall is one of the malls in the emirate that can now have visitors at 100% capacity. Photo: Shutterstock
According to the latest announcement by Dubai Media Office, shopping malls and private businesses in the emirate can begin operating at 100% capacity from Wednesday, June 3.
“Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management announces that shopping centers and private business centers in the emirate will fully operate at 100 percent from tomorrow, Wednesday June 3, 2020,” stated Dubai Media Office in a tweet.
Initially, malls and shopping centers across the UAE had been closed, and many private and public sector employees had been working remotely in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus at the end of March. Malls and offices in Dubai were then allowed to reopen a couple of months later but with the capacity of visitors and employees limited to 30 percent and strict safety measures and social distancing in place.
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For the first time since March, this capacity has now been raised to 100 percent which comes as a part of the gradual reopening of economic activities in the emirate and efforts to restore normalcy. However, strict precautionary measures will continue to remain in place. The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai urged employees of private sector companies and shopping malls, and visitors to these locations, to strictly follow precautionary measures, including wearing face masks, maintaining a minimum distance of two meters from others, using hand sanitizers and regularly washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.
The committee also added that private sector employees suffering from respiratory conditions and those with compromised immunity are advised to continue working remotely from home. Other safety measures include temperature screening of employees, visitors and customers, and the provision of an isolation room for suspected cases. As per the committee, companies must also restrict the number of employees allowed to be present in the pantry at any given time and ensure all mandatory guidelines outlined by health authorities are followed.
As for the shopping malls, their operational hours can be chosen by themselves and can fall any time between 6am and 11pm so as to not coincide with the timings of the National Sterilization Programme. The mandatory measures for malls include frequent sterilization of all facilities and common areas, providing sanitizers across the mall and its entrances, and screening people’s temperature at entrances to identify suspected cases and take necessary measures. All shopping malls are also required to provide a dedicated room to isolate suspected cases in accordance with protocols.
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