Dubai imposes new COVID-19 rules to combat virus spread as numbers grow

DUBAI: Dubai has issued new coronavirus rules for social gatherings, cafes and restaurants, as well as gyms and other fitness centers as part of its efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, state news agency WAM reported.
The new rules come into force as the UAE saw another record number of cases of coronavirus on Friday.
The new rules, issued late Friday evening, require the distance between tables at restaurants and cafes to be three meters apart instead of two, Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management said in a statement.
Similar rules have been imposed on Dubai’s gyms and fitness centers where equipment will now need to be three meters apart.
There’s also a cut in the amount of people who can dine together – with a maximum of seven people allowed to sit at a table in restaurants and four in cafes, the statement said.
Rules on social gatherings have changed too, with a decision to limit attendance at weddings, private parties, and other social events, to 10 people who must be first-degree relatives, whether in hotels or homes.
Last week authorities in Dubai imposed new rules in the emirate banning entertainment in Hotels and restaurants.
The UAE on Saturday reported 3,566 new cases of COVID-19, as the number of infections once again hit new daily high. An additional seven people died of conditions related to the disease, raising the fatality rate to 783.

A total of 4,051 patients also recovered from virus complications, bringing the total number of those free from COVID-19 to 247,318.