Dubai relaxes COVID-19 social distancing rule to one-meter: Officials

Dubai has relaxed its COVID-19 social distancing rule to one meter in parts of the emirate, Dubai Municipality has announced.

The reduction is applicable to restaurants and cafes, shopping centers, gyms, beaches, public and entertainment parks, offices and workplaces.

The previous rule required residents to maintain two meters of physical distance to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

The UAE has been reporting record low new daily COVID-19 cases for weeks.

Health officials in the UAE last week praised members of the public for following safety protocols and helping get new daily COVID-19 cases under 100 – but said variants of the disease are still a cause for concern.

This week new COVID-19 safety rules were announced ahead of the country’s 50th National Day celebrations and the UAE’s Commemoration Day.

During the UAE’s weekly COVID-19 briefing, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) said to attend any events or gathering residents must present negative results of a PCR conducted less than 96 hours prior to the event, while masks will continue to remain mandatory indoors and in crowded areas.

At any event, all attendees’ temperatures will be checked, and everyone must remain at a physical distance of 1.5 meters. This rule does not apply to members of the same family.

People of all ages are allowed to attend events marking National Day and Commemoration Day, providing they have a received a COVID-19 vaccine more than 14 days before the events, got a booster shot or have a green pass status on their Al Hosn application.

NCEMA has also asked residents to maintain social distancing, avoid shaking hands or hugging and to keep a proper distance while taking photographs.

Face masks remain mandatory across the UAE.