Back to school: The latest UAE COVID-19 protocol for students, staff returning to school after summer break

Schools across the UAE are getting ready to welcome back nearly a million school students and close to 65,000 educational staff next week, after a long summer break. Most schools reopen on Monday, August 29 (Picture for illustrative purpose).

On August 23, the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) announced the latest COVID-19 protocol for students and school staff. The organisation urged parents and teaching staff to adhere to the following preventive measures (Picture for illustrative purpose).

1. Students above 12 years, teaching and administrative staff, and service providers are required to provide a negative PCR test result taken within 96 hours of the first day of school. Regular testing is not required.

2. All students are allowed to attend classes including those who are unvaccinated for medical reasons or with medical exemption (Picture for illustrative purpose).

3. University students who are unvaccinated for medical reasons and those with vaccination exemption can present the PCR tests required for the green pass system on the Al Hosn app to enter the university premises (Picture for illustrative purpose).

4. Social distancing inside facilities is also no longer mandatory and has been left to the discretion of each facility, including on buses (Picture for illustrative purpose).

5. Facemasks will remain mandatory in indoor places for students and staff.

6. Temperature checks to screen for COVID-19 (for students and employees) is no longer necessary, provided that anyone with a high body temperatures refrains from attending classes, obtains sick leave, and provides a negative PCR test result.