UAE Back to School Protocols: Masks Remain

This article is part of an editorial series on Covid-19

UAE back to school Covid-19 prevention protocols for 2022-23 have been announced in the last hour by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA). 

Communicated via twitter, NCEMA shared the following protocols:

• Students aged 12 and over, as well as teaching and administration staff and services providers, are required to provide a negative PCR test result taken within 96 hours on the first day of school, but without the need for regular testing. 
• All students are allowed to attend classes including those who are unvaccinated due to medical reasons or with medical exemption, a PCR test and adhering to the Green Pass system will suffice. 
• Social distancing inside facilities has been cancelled and is left to the discretion of each facility, including on buses. 
• Temperature checks to screen for Covid-19 of students and employees has been cancelled, providing that anyone with a high temperature must refrain from attending classes, obtain sick leave and provide a negative PCR test result. 
• Wearing face masks is mandatory inside closed areas, while students and personnel who have contracted COVID-19 or those suffering from respiratory symptoms are allowed to choose the e-learning and remote work options. 

As per the announcement, these protocols are applicable to educational institutions across the UAE.

The news is unlikely to be a source of happiness for a majority of UAE parents, according to a Parents United poll, who want masks within schools to go.