Following Dubai, more UAE malls, restaurants reopen

Malls in the United Arab Emirates’ capital Abu Dhabi began reopening to a restricted number of customers this weekend as the UAE eases lockdown measures imposed more than a month ago to combat the novel coronavirus.

Three Abu Dhabi malls reopened on Saturday at 30% customer capacity after adopting safety measures, including installing thermal inspection devices, the government media office tweeted and Sharjah emirate said it would reopen malls on Sunday.

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Malls, dine-in restaurants and cafes in Dubai, the UAE’s business and tourism hub, had earlier resumed operations with limited capacity. Shoppers must wear face masks and gloves and keep their distance.

Sharjah emirate’s media office said malls, salons and dine-in restaurants could resume operations on Sunday.

Other public venues such as schools, mosques and cinemas remain closed in the UAE, which has so far reported nearly 13,600 infections and 119 deaths from the virus. It does not give a breakdown for each of its seven emirates.

The UAE had also relaxed a nationwide curfew, first announced on March 26, with the start of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan on April 24.