At the beginning of February, new preventative measures were implemented in Dubai in order to curb the spread of coronavirus.

It has now been announced by the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management via the Dubai Media Office that these restrictions will stay in place until Ramadan, which is set to start in mid-April.

READ: The estimated dates for Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr have been announced

“The decision is based on an evaluation of the evolving COVID-19 situation, data showing the effectiveness of intensified safety measures and the recommendations of frontline authorities,” a statement from the committee outlined.

Malls can only operate at a maximum of 70 per cent capacity with live entertainment in venues suspended a couple of weeks ago. Music is allowed in hotels and restaurants but only to a limited level, restricting it to 70 decibels of instrumental-only.

READ: COVID-19 in the UAE: The current restrictions emirate by emirate

Restaurants and cafes must also close at 1am and bars and pubs are to remain closed.

Hotels are to operate at 70 per cent capacity, with new bookings to comply with the capacity limit. Meanwhile, swimming pools and private beaches in hotels to be limited to a 70 per cent capacity. Meanwhile, indoor seated venues including cinemas, entertainment venues and sports venues can now only operate at 50 per cent.

Tougher penalties regarding any violations will also be imposed for deliberately disregarding the preventive measures.

UAE’s vaccination program

These restrictions come as the UAE continues its rollout of the national vaccine programme. A couple of weeks ao it was announced last week that the UAE had reached the milestone of administering over five million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

This milestone in the vaccination process bodes well for the nation’s aim to vaccinate half of the population by the end of March and also showcases the UAE as one of the leaders in the world in vaccination rates.

At present, there are four COVID-19 vaccinations being administered in the UAE.

READ: The 4 COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available in the UAE

The first vaccine to be approved in the UAE was the Sinophram vaccine, followed by the Pfizer vaccine being permitted in Dubai towards the end of last year.

In January, Russia’s Sputnik V was approved for emergency use. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was approved for use in Dubai in February.

– For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram

Feature Image: @ghazanfarsphotography Instagram