UAE announces easing of mask-wearing regulations

Face coverings will no longer be mandatory in certain areas – but social distancing measures should still be observed

According to the Ministry of Health and Community Protection and the National Emergency Crisis (MoHaP) and Disaster Management (NCME), the wearing of face masks in some public places in the UAE is no longer mandatory.

Face masks will no longer be required for those who are exercising in public or visiting public swimming pools and beaches. Masks are also no longer mandatory for passengers sharing a private vehicle with members of the same household.

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People who undergo diagnostics or treatment in medical centres and clinics, those alone in closed spaces, and customers of barbershops and beauty salons will no longer be required to wear masks. 

The decision comes after a sharp decline in the number of Covid-19 cases recorded in the country. According to NCEMA, all indicators now point to a return to “a new normal”. 

The UAE has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world and the Covid-19 daily case count in the country has dropped to less than 500 from more than 3,600 daily cases in January this year.