No mandatory masks in some public places
UAE EASES RULES AS CASES FALL, BUT 2-METRE SOCIAL DISTANCING A MUST
It is not mandatory to wear a mask in certain public places, but social distancing of two metres is a must. the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) announced yesterday.
The two entities said that the decision comes after the noticeable decrease in Covid-19 cases in the country. “This reflects successful national efforts in expanding the scope of testing nationwide that led to early detection of cases, and the availability of multiple vaccines along with the cooperation of the community in committing to precautionary measures,” they said in a statement.
Where masks are optional
Masks are not mandatory when exercising in public places, commuting in private vehicles with those who live in the same house as well as at open beaches and swimming pools. Masks are also not obligatory for people who are alone in closed spaces, or at salons and beauty centres as well as in medical centres and clinics.
Local authorities are required to put up signs at places where people can move without masks. The signs have to also specify that social distancing of two metres must be maintained.
The ministry and NCEMA, however, stressed that “studies confirmed that the mask is one of an important means to stop the spread of the virus”, and warned that those who don’t wear a mask in stipulated public places will be fined.
Post-Covid clinics in Dubai
Meanwhile, Dubai Health Authority (DHA) launched post-Covid treatment clinics at two of its health centres. The clinics will be operational at Al Barsha Health Centre on Tuesdays and at Nad Al Hammar Health Centre Thursdays.
This service is not for pregnant women and children under six years of age.
Face masks have become an everyday accessory ever since Covid-19 struck. But with the relaxation of rules on their use today, UAE residents have heaved a collective sigh of relief.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention and the National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) have allowed the removal of face mask in some places while adhering to the rule of maintaining a distance of two metres. Residents can now remove masks in exercise areas, on the beach, in open areas of swimming pools, in vehicles if they are riding with family members, if they are sitting alone in a closed room, going for personal grooming services at the salon at medical centres to avail treatment or diagnostic screening.
All through the pandemic, the mask along with other protocols of social distancing and hand sanitisation played a critical role in slowing down transmission rates of Covid-19. It will continue to do so, say health experts.
Prior to 2020, other than health care, hospitality and beauty salon professionals, no one in the general healthy public had ever donned the face mask.
WHO mandate
Initially, in the first three or four months of the pandemic (from January to May 2020), the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated there was no need for facial masks. Later, it became evident that droplets of moisture and saliva carried the Sars COV2 virus some distance and poor ventilation too played a role in the spread of the disease. By June 2020, the WHO mandated the wearing of a facial mask by one and all and issued an advisory stating that face masks had an important role to play in the curbing the transmission of Covid-19.
While doctors and health personnel were wearing the full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) along with N-95 surgical mask which completely sealed off their face while attending to patients, the general public was advised to wear three-layered disposable or fabric masks. It was recommended that the inside layer of the mask be made of a hydrophilic material that could absorb an individual’s saliva or moisture droplets in the inner layer. A middle layer, it was recommended, should be of polypropylene or non-woven material, which could block the saliva or moisture from the inner fabric to travel outwards on the external layer. The outer layer of the mask was to be made of a water or liquid resistant material that could stop any outer droplets of moisture to be absorbed into the fabric.
In the beginning when vaccines were in the research and development stage, it was social distancing, hand sanitisation and wearing of the mask that played a crucial role in curbing the rate of community transmission. In the UAE, residents followed the
mask protocol very rigidly. Prior to the vaccination drive which was initiated in December 2020, the mask was hailed the as the best line of defence in fighting Covid-19 transmission.
Clinical evidence
It was an effective strategy, as there is clinical evidence that indicates when people who were careless about this protocol in UAE and anywhere else in the world, contracted the virus. In case of people who came in contact with the virus through contaminated items, wearing a mask and generally following other protocols helped them remain asymptomatic or have milder symptoms with quick recovery. Wearing a mask clearly proved effective in decreasing the viral load or strong exposure to the virus said virologists.
Now, as the rate of infection is waning, UAE residents feel relieved that they can take off their masks in some controlled situations.