Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management, in its meeting stressed the importance of following precautionary measures outlined by health authorities in the UAE and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to protect the community from COVID-19. The meeting was chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The Committee’s statement came as Dubai commenced its COVID- 19 vaccination campaign, in which Dubai Health Authority is providing the Pfizer- BioNTech vaccination.

The mandatory guidelines that should be followed by private social gatherings held on New Year’s Eve include: -Family gatherings and events organised in tents and homes are allowed to accommodate a maximum of 30 people, subject to compliance with the rule of one person per four square metres of venue space; -Attendees are required to wear face masks at all times and practice social distancing; -Elderly people and those with chronic conditions should be advised not to attend these gatherings; -Any person experiencing symptoms such as coughing or fever must refrain from attending events.

The penalties for private social gatherings that violate guidelines will be AED50,000 for those hosting or organising the gathering and AED15,000 for each attendee.

The Supreme Committee stressed that guidelines related to private social gatherings will be stringently enforced and inspections will continue to be held to ensure compliance. Violators will be held accountable for lack of compliance with the rules. The Committee called on families and members of the community to strictly comply with precautionary measures and avoid gatherings that do not adhere to guidelines.

The Supreme Committee further said the preventive measures are aimed at safeguarding the community’s health and safety, which continue to be the highest priority of the Government of Dubai and frontline entities. The authorities reiterated their complete commitment to protect the safety and well-being of citizens, residents and tourists.