Coronavirus: UAE considers plan to reopen nurseries, schools and universities

Authorities say safety measures are being discussed as part of national reopening strategy

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  University graduates wearing face masks take a selfie during their graduation ceremony at Wuhan University in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province. AFP

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  Residents of a coronavirus-infected area argue with police officers in Lahore, Pakistan. AP Photo

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  A man sprays hand sanitiser on a child who is travelling on a public bus in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Reuters

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  A member of the Indonesian Red Cross wearing a protective suit sprays disinfectant liquid inside a classroom at a school amid an easing of the large-scale coronavirus restrictions in Jakarta, Indonesia. EPA

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  A woman undergoes temperature check as a precaution against the spread of Covid-19, at the entrance of the zoo in Cali, Colombia. AFP

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  Medical emergency personnel transfer older adults who tested positive for the Covid-19 disease from an asylum to hospitals, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. EPA

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  Employees work on the production line at a Detmold production centre for medical-grade face masks in Brompton, Adelaide, Australia. EPA

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  Paul Manship's 'Youth' statue in Rockefeller Centre wears a mask to coincide with New York City moving into the phase two of gradual reopening from coronavirus restrictions. AFP

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  A ragpicker pushes his tricycle as Christians sit in their vehicles maintaining social distancing during a drive-in mass at Bethel AG Church in Bengaluru, India. AP Photo

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  A man sits on his rickshaw waiting for clients as Spain officially reopens the borders amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Barcelona, Spain. Reuters

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  Sotheby's staff, wearing protective masks, attend a buyers' preview before the resumption of live jewellery auctions after the coronavirus lockdown in Geneva, Switzerland. Reuters

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  Customers wait in the lobby of Cinema 5 Caumartin in Paris ahead of its opening just after midnight, after cinemas in France were allowed to reopen on June 22. AFP

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Latest: Dubai parents told to anticipate pupils back in classes after summer

UAE education authorities are laying the groundwork for a possible return to classrooms this September, it was announced on Monday.

Officials said they were drawing up plans to allow the move, with the safety of students and teaching staff their key concern.

Experts said rigorous health measures were being considered at nurseries, schools and universities as part of the nationwide reopening strategy.

Among ideas under discussion were smaller classroom numbers, pupil temperature checks, a ban on sharing food and a 30 per cent cap on school bus passengers.

Schools and universities may also be required to ensure that all maintenance staff are kept off-site during teaching hours. School trips, sport and daily assemblies will also be limited.

Other health measures may include:

• Sterilisation of classrooms, laboratories and other areas on a regular basis.
• Ensuring a health and safety official is in place at all times to oversee precautionary measures.
• Social distancing

News of the plan to reopen schools came as the UAE announced another 378 cases of coronavirus on Monday, taking the total number of infections in the country to 45,303.

Officials also said another 631 patients had recovered from the virus, while one patient had died.

To date, 33,046 residents in the Emirates have recovered from the disease, amounting to some 75 per cent of patients.

About 12,000 cases are still active and more than three million people across the UAE have been tested.

Also on Monday, the UAE Minister of Health and Prevention urged the public to take greater care not to inadvertently spread false information on social media.

Abdulrahman Al Owais said the circulation of inaccurate information on Covid-19 had proved hard to dispel.

Speaking at an online global health summit on Monday, Mr Al Owais said discussion was needed to address how online platforms should be used during pandemics.

His warning came as case numbers of the virus in the UAE continued to drop, allowing some authorities to relax travel restrictions further.

“The misinformation coming through social media was challenging for all governments in that we had to be very quick in responding to it,” Mr Al Owais said.

“They [the public] wanted to help but sending misinformation really created a mess that put added pressure on different government sectors.

“When we had the Sars crisis there was no social media so we didn’t have these issues.

"You can’t count the number of lessons we have learnt and are still learning.”