COVID-19: Why Green Pass and what will change in the UAE from June 15?

Abu Dhabi: On Monday, the UAE once again tightened COVID-19 restrictions as a means to protect the community from the spread of infection.

In addition to reducing the validity of the Green Pass on Alhosn to 14 days, officials will once again begin imposing fines on individuals who do not diligently wear masks in indoor public spaces.

The validity of the Alhosn Green Pass has been shortened from 30 days to 14 days. The decision will come into effect tomorrow, June 15, except in schools and universities, where it will be enforced from June 20 onwards.

Now why Green Pass?

The Green Pass is required to access a number of public spaces and events in the UAE, including malls, government offices, hotels, restaurants, gyms, schools, airports, and hospitals. It can be obtained once you receive a negative PCR test result.

From June 15 onwards, a Green Pass will only be valid for 14 days. You will then have to take another PCR test, and receive a negative result, to have the Green Pass reinstated.

Without this Green Pass, you will not be allowed to access a number of public spaces across the country, and the NCEMA said entry checks will once again become more rigorous and widespread.

Fines for mask wearing negligence

Inspectors will impose Dh3,000 fines for not wearing face masks, or for failing to wear them properly, when in indoor public spaces. This law has been in effect since 2020, based on Public Prosecution Decision No. 38 for the year 2020, and the NCEMA spokesperson said it will be more widely and strictly enforced.

Updates must be taken seriously

According to the NCEMA, UAE has seen an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, with case numbers jumping 100 per cent within a week.

In a briefing, Dr Taher Al Amri, official spokesperson for the National Crisis, Emergencies and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), said that COVID-19 cases have risen significantly in several countries, and that the NCEMA had recently noted in the UAE “some behaviours that have become a threat to society and public health”.

“This is an indication of a negligence to implementing precautionary and preventive measures, which negatively affects the recovery efforts that all parties are working on, including our frontline defenders,” Dr Al Amri said.

“We stress that COVID-19 is still present, and our frontline defenders are still addressing it. Our duty today is to protect the country’s relevant achievements. We urge everyone to adhere to the preventive and precautionary measures, by wearing face masks in closed areas, avoiding crowding, taking caution when travelling, and checking the procedures for travel destinations on the platforms of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation,” he added.