Coronavirus: public parks in Abu Dhabi reopen after deep cleaning

Beaches in the emirate will remain closed until further notice

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - December 13, 2018: Al Umm Al Emarat Park, 15th Street, Mushrif Area. Pictures of different parks all over Abu Dhabi. Thursday the 13th of December 2018 in Abu Dhabi. Show more

Public parks in Abu Dhabi reopened on Sunday after being  closed at the weekend for deep cleaning.

On Saturday, the emirate's Department of Economic Development said all beaches and parks in the emirate would be closed "until further notice" to help contain the spread of Covid-19.

But in an updated tweet by the municipality on Sunday, it said visitors were now allowed to visit the parks during normal operating hours.

“The Department of Municipalities and Transport announces the reopening of public parks after taking preventive sterilisation and disinfection measures to safeguard the health of [the community],” it said in an Instagram post.

“Public beaches in Abu Dhabi will remain closed until further notice.”

Over the past few weeks, the UAE has implemented a number of precautionary measures to help minimise the impact of coronavirus on residents and tourists. Some venues have introduced 24-hour cleaning rotas and are disinfecting items such as shopping trolleys, lift buttons and handrails in malls.

In both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, hot spots including cinemas, theme parks and gyms have been closed temporarily at the request of the Department of Economic Development.

Last week, malls and supermarkets across the UAE installed airport-style thermal scanners to tackle the spread of the virus.

Managers said those with a high temperature would be turned away or referred to nearby medical teams for further testing.