ABU DHABI 29 April 2020: Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha), has completed around 20,000 coronavirus tests for mall and shop employees across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The initiative also enhanced employees’ awareness about Covid-19, its symptoms and how to appropriately follow the outlined precautionary measures, said a Seha press release issued on Tuesday.
This was done in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, which issued a circular to reopen shopping malls in adherence to strict guidelines for the health and safety of employees, under the instruction of the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA).
The mall and shop employees visited seven of Seha’s drive-through screening facilities across the emirate, located in Abu Dhabi city, Al Wathba, Al Bahia, Al Ain and Al Dhafra over the weekend to undergo the Covid-19 test and ensure they are healthy before returning to work.
In addition to completing the test, employees were educated on the importance of social distancing, regular sanitisation, the appropriate use of masks and gloves and temperature checks for themselves and their customers.
Other initiatives introduced by Seha in the response to the Covid-19 outbreak include the establishment of three field hospitals in preparedness for a potential influx of confirmed cases and the designation and preparation of certain hospitals as facilities to exclusively treat and quarantine coronavirus patients.
Seha has also rolled out 14 drive-through testing facilities across the nation and the testing of the thousands of workers in their residents across Abu Dhabi, said the release.
UAQ re-opening commercial establishments with restrictions
UMM AL QAIWAIN: The Executive Council of Umm Al Qaiwain has issued a decision re-opening commercial establishments in the emirate as per the amended timing of the National Disinfection Programme in the emirate.
The re-opening is based on a comprehensive evaluation of the current situation that has taken into full consideration the reports raised by the executive and field bodies in charge of combating the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The decision allows the commercial establishments to partially reopen at 30 percent capacity to avoid penalty, with customers to maintain physical distancing norms, and avoid overcrowding, said Wam.
According to the decision, all these establishments have to obligate their staff to wear facemasks, while hand gloves are optional. They have also to make readily available sufficient amounts of sanitizers and hygiene kits on a large scope, in addition to closing all public seating areas and prayer spaces.
People 60+ years will be denied entry
The decision stipulates that people over 60 years old will be denied entry, with these establishments to employ a maximum of 30 percent of their workforce and enforce physical distance of two metres from each other. Prevention guidelines should be prominently posted on ground at checkout points and all around the establishment.
Food and beverage outlets should operate at 30 percent of capacity only. They should serve a maximum group of four and tables should be spaced 2.5m apart, with Shisha ban to persist.
The decision allows the opening of women and men salons to provide limited services, namely haircut, shaving and nail cutting as per a set of rules, including prior booking and banning of gatherings at any given time in addition to abiding by prevention guidelines, including provision of sanitisers and hygiene kits.
Under the decision, movie theatres, museums, heritage sites, desert and entertainment camps will continue to be banned. The closure of massage centres, wedding halls, gardens, public beaches, kids areas, sports lounges and fitness centers and swimming pools will continue.
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