Abu Dhabi to restrict access to many public places for unvaccinated people

Everyone must show proof of vaccination to enter malls, gyms, restaurants and nurseries, among other venues, from August 20

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  Abu Dhabi residents are inoculated at the screening and vaccine centre on the Corniche. A nationwide testing and inoculation campaign is credited with driving down cases. All photos: Victor Besa / The National

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  Staff and nurses from the Abu Dhabi public hospital group Seha urged the public to protect themselves from Covid-19 by signing up to be vaccinated.

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  Motorists queue for PCR tests at Seha's testing and vaccination centre on Abu Dhabi's Corniche.

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  Mass testing and a successful vaccination campaign has helped the UAE to tackle the pandemic.

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  Drivers wait at a centre that provides both PCR nasal swab tests and coronavirus vaccine doses.

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  Shenaz Abdul Salam, 13, gives a thumbs up as he waits to receive his first vaccine dose.

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  A staff nurse fills in a vaccination form for a driver at the Corniche centre.

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  Mariam Al Badi, an Emirati nurse working at Seha's drive-through vaccine centre, has urged everyone to get inoculated against Covid-19.

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  Ms Al Badi goes through the vaccination process with a driver.

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  Cars queue at the drive-through testing and vaccination centre on Abu Dhabi's Corniche.

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  More than 80 per cent of the UAE population has been vaccinated and the government is urging those who have not to sign up.

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  An Abu Dhabi resident gives the thumbs up after signing up for vaccination.

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  Authorities have made the vaccines free for everyone.

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  A medical worker checks papers as Abu Dhabi residents sign up for the Covid-19 vaccine.

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  The drive-through Covid-19 testing and inoculation centre has proved popular with Abu Dhabi residents.

Only vaccinated people will be allowed to enter some public places in Abu Dhabi from August 20.

This includes shopping centres, restaurants, cafes and all other retail outlets, including those not within a shopping centre, "except supermarkets and pharmacies", the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee said on Monday.

Also included are 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 nurseries in the emirate.

The decision does not apply to those with a vaccination exemption registered on the Al Hosn app, nor to children aged 15 and under.

More than 93 per cent of the "target groups" have been vaccinated in Abu Dhabi, authorities said.

They said the latest move was designed to safeguard public health and curb the spread of Covid-19.

Earlier this month, Abu Dhabi introduced a green pass system through the Al Hosn app to enter most public places.

It requires people to show their testing and vaccination status on the test-and-trace app to enter parks, beaches, malls, hotels and large supermarkets.
The app is also required to access gyms, swimming pools, entertainment centres, restaurants and cafes.

It was temporarily suspended on June 18 as authorities worked on a technical issue.

Authorities have not said when the green pass system will resume. But during a special Covid-19 briefing on Sunday they said the Al Hosn app was working as normal.

“It is currently working efficiently and effectively as usual and all users can get the results of the PCR nasal swab, DPI laser blood test and vaccination status through the application,” the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said.

The same briefing heard that the highly contagious Delta variant accounted for a third of cases in the UAE.

It also heard that infections had risen because some people had not been vaccinated or were not following rules.

Officials urged everyone to take the vaccine and continue to wear masks and adhere to social-distancing guidelines.

Mass testing and one of the world's fastest vaccination drives have been central to the UAE's efforts to curb the pandemic.

The country recorded little more than 2,000 cases on Monday, down from close to 4,000 in January.