UAE public urged to stick to mask wearing amid no change in rules

Health official tells people to check travel restrictions in other countries when planning summer holidays

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  People will no longer have to wear face masks outside. The rule applies across the UAE. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Masks must still be worn in all public indoor areas, such as shopping centres and schools. Pawan Singh / The National

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  The UAE has scrapped PCR testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers. AFP

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  Tracking wristbands that were in use in Abu Dhabi to monitor the movement of people with Covid-19 will no longer be used during home isolation. Photo: Abu Dhabi Government Media Office

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  Ncema has approved the return of the pre-pandemic time intervals between the first and second prayer calls. AFP

Health authorities in the UAE are urging people to continue wearing face masks and follow other preventive measures to stay safe and reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19.

Dr Taher Al Ameri, the spokesman of the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority, said at Wednesday's Covid-19 media briefing that the public should adopt a culture of self-protection to preserve the gains made in fighting the pandemic.

"We are keen to limit the spread of the virus and, thankfully, we have seen a decrease in the number of new infections and no deaths have been recorded since March 7," he said.

"We are proud that we have returned to a new normal life and people should continue to follow all safety measures."

Per current Covid rules in the country, people no longer have to wear face masks outside. The rule applies throughout the UAE. But face masks must still be worn in all public indoor areas, such as shopping malls. No new changes were announced.

Dr Al Ameri reminded people to check procedures and restrictions in other countries when travelling during the summer holidays.

"We ask citizens and residents wishing to travel to check the rules and procedures of the countries they wish to visit for their own safety and to avoid fines," he said.

"People should follow all preventive measures adopted in foreign countries, especially as cases continue to rise in many parts of the world."

The UAE has recorded a significant fall in new case numbers in recent months.

After topping 3,000 in January after the emergence of the Omicron variant, daily case numbers have hovered around the 200-mark in the first 10 days of May. It rose slightly on Wednesday to top 300.

More than 157 million tests have been conducted to date under a robust mass-screening programme, which has been central to the country's recovery strategy, while 97.82 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated.