UAE announces COVID-19 safety rules for National Day celebrations

Emiratis attend celebrations of UAE's national day on December 2, 2020. (Karim Sahib/AFP)
Short Url
Updated 03 November 2021
Follow

UAE announces COVID-19 safety rules for National Day celebrations

DUBAI: Health officials in the UAE have announced the COVID-19 safety rules ahead of two national holidays: the nation’s 50th National Day and Commemoration Day.  

Saif Al-Dhaheri, the official spokesman for the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority,  said attendees of any celebrations will be required to present a negative PCR text conducted within 96 hours of the event’s date and will undergo a temperature check. 
Face masks will remain mandatory at all times inside closed areas or crowded places, and a 1.5-meter social distance must be maintained, he added. Members of the same family will be allowed to stand together without social distancing. 
All age groups who received their last vaccine dose 14 or more days before the event will be allowed to enter, along with those who have received a booster shot or can show a Green Pass. 
The protocol urged people to greet each other from a distance without shaking hands.
“We urge everyone to follow the protocols of local authorities and adhere to them, to ensure the health and safety of the community,” he stated.

UAE's National Day falls on Dec. 2 and marks the start of the federal unification of the emirates in 1971.

The Commemoration Day, which remembers those who lost their lives serving their country, is makred on Dec. 1. 


Gaza death toll surges to 71,548 as Israeli aggression continues 

Updated 5 sec ago
Follow

Gaza death toll surges to 71,548 as Israeli aggression continues 

  • The administration of President Donald Trump earlier in the week said the US-drafted ceasefire plan for Gaza was now moving into its challenging second phase, which includes the new Palestinian committee in Gaza

GAZA: The death toll from Israeli attacks has risen to 71,548 Palestinians, with 171,353 reported wounded, since the beginning of the offensive on Oct. 7, 2023, according to medical sources. 
One new fatality was reported at a Gaza hospital in the past 24 hours, along with six new injuries, sources said. 
Several victims remain trapped under rubble or lying in the streets, with ambulance and civil defense crews unable to reach them due to the widespread destruction and lack of supplies. 
Since the ceasefire came into effect on Oct. 11, the number of fatalities has increased to 464 along with 1,275 injuries, while 712 bodies have been recovered from beneath the rubble. 
Earlier on Saturday, a 27-day-old baby died because of severe cold, bringing the number of child deaths caused by extreme winter conditions since the start of the season to eight. 
The administration of President Donald Trump earlier in the week said the US-drafted ceasefire plan for Gaza was now moving into its challenging second phase, which includes the new Palestinian committee in Gaza, deployment of an international security force, disarmament of Hamas, and reconstruction of the war-battered territory.
But Israel’s government is objecting to the White House announcement of leaders who will play a role in overseeing the next steps in Gaza.
Israel says the Gaza executive committee “was not coordinated with Israel and is contrary to its policy,” without details.
Saturday’s statement also said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the Foreign Ministry to contact Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The White House-announced committee announced on Friday includes no Israeli official but does include an Israeli businessman. 
Other members announced so far include two of US President Donald Trump’s closest confidants, a former British prime minister, an American general, and a collection of top officials from Middle Eastern governments.
The White House has said the executive committee will carry out the vision of a Trump-led “Board of Peace,” whose members have not yet been named. 
The White House also announced the members of a new Palestinian committee to run Gaza’s day-to-day affairs, with oversight from the executive committee.
The committee’s members include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Trump’s deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel.