Abu Dhabi tightens COVID-19 guidelines for weddings, indoor, outdoor events

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi has announced new guidelines for hosting indoor and outdoor social events and celebrations in the emirate to enhance precautionary measures and protect public health, the Abu Dhabi Media Office (ADMO) reported on Sunday.

The Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee, in its updated COVID-19 guidelines, has directed venues hosting social events such as wedding ceremonies, funerals and family gatherings, to allow 60 per cent maximum occupancy.

The maximum number of people permitted at indoor events should not exceed 50, and attendees at outdoor events and open-air activities should not exceed more than 150 persons.

Social events at home should not host more than 30 people.

Entry to social events also requires adherence to existing precautionary measures, including showing a green pass on Al Hosn App, presenting a negative PCR test result received within 48 hours and wearing masks while observing physical distancing.

Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee will increase inspection and monitoring to ensure compliance with all preventive and precautionary measures and help maintain a low COVID-19 infection rate in Abu Dhabi.

The Committee has urged the public to continue observing precautionary measures and ask them to avoid crowded places.

The committee also encourages those eligible to receive a booster vaccine dose and maintain their green status on Al Hosn App through regular PCR testing.

This comes at a time when the UAE Ministry of Health reported the highest daily number of COVID-19 cases in nearly six months, as it recorded more than 1,800 infections, 618 recoveries and two deaths on Sunday.

Cases in the Gulf country have seen a steady rise at slow rates in recent months, but the last time the number of daily infections was this high was at the end of June when the United Arab Emirates reported 2,184 cases.