Eid Al Fitr Covid rules announced for UAE

Ncema urged the public to celebrate the Eid holidays safely this year

Billboards along Sheikh Zayed Road thanking the Covid vaccine volunteers for the Phase 3 trials conducted in the UAE. Antonie Robertson / The National

A man receives a dose of a vaccine against the coronavirus disease in Dubai. Reuters

People queue for the vaccine near DIFC in Dubai. AFP

The DPI screening centre on the border between Dubai and Abu Dhabi is quick and results are out in a matter of minutes. Antonie Robertson / The National

A woman receives a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at Zabeel Health Centre in Dubai. EPA

Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara partnered with Tamouh Health Care to provide on-site Sinopharm Vaccination for all residents of the UAE free of charge in February. Pawan Singh / The National

UAE residents receive their vaccine free of charge in February. Pawan Singh / The National

Protocols for celebrating Eid Al Fitr were announced by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority on Wednesday evening at an official briefing.

Dr Taher Al Ameri, Ncema's spokesman, urged the public to "celebrate this blessed period in health and safety with loved ones, as well as to protect the most vulnerable categories from [coronavirus] infection". The Eid Al Fitr holidays begin on Saturday.

"The protocols includes the need to have an active green pass on Al Hosn app and adhere to relevant precautionary measures," Dr Al Ameri said.

The updated protocols also include a requirement for worshippers at Eid prayers to wear face masks at all times and maintain physical distancing.

Prayers must not exceed 20 minutes and the gates of mosques should be opened after dawn prayers.

The authority said the public should give Eid presents through electronic means and people should seek to limit celebrations to immediate family members and friends.

Dr Al Ameri said new Covid-19 infections were diminishing in the UAE.

"The country is continuing to see a decline in Covid-19 cases, which is mainly due to the significant efforts of various authorities, led by the health sector," he said.

"The UAE has made major strides in terms of recovery and return to normalcy, which can only be maintained through the public’s adherence [to preventive measures]."

Earlier, the UAE reported 212 Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, raising its overall tally to 897,770. Another 333 people overcame the virus as the number of recoveries climbed to 880,814.

No coronavirus-related deaths have been reported since March 7, with the toll remaining at 2,302.

The latest cases were identified as a result of another 244,445 PCR tests. More than 155 million tests have been conducted under a mass screening strategy aimed at limiting community transmission.

Daily case numbers have remained below 300 since April 4, having exceeded 3,000 as recently as mid-January.

More than 97 per cent of residents are fully vaccinated after health workers administered more than 24.7 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines.