Latest: On patrol with Abu Dhabi's door-to-door Covid-19 testing team
Health officials in the UAE announced the lifting of night-time movement restrictions in the country.
Dr Saif Al Dhaheri, spokesman for the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, said the easing applied to all residents.
Dr Al Dhaheri announced the national disinfection programme was complete but said public buildings would be regularly sanitised.
It brought a three-month campaign to an end that employed tens of thousands of litres of disinfectant every night to clean the streets of densely-packed city centres and more spacious residential neighbourhoods across the country.
UAE lifts night-time movement restrictions
Initially in place from 8pm, the timing changed throughout the course of the campaign, starting at 10pm across most of the country latterly.
The aqueous solution used in the disinfection drive was hypochlorous acid, a non-hazardous, weak acid approved by the World Health Organisation and is harmless to plants and animals.
Authorities also lifted the ban, in all seven emirates, on children under the age of 12 visiting shopping malls.
Following the completion of the National Sterilisation Programme in #AbuDhabi, residents may now move freely within Abu Dhabi emirate. Exiting Abu Dhabi does not require a permit. The entry ban to Abu Dhabi remains in place, except for pre-exempted categories. pic.twitter.com/FU4yEtNWcD
— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) June 24, 2020
News of the easing came as officials recorded 450 new cases of coronavirus in the previous 24 hours.
Officials also revealed the details of a testing scheme under way across Abu Dhabi, with police and medics joining forces to provide free screenings.
“One of the most important lessons we learnt is that compliance and co-operation are the best methods for positive results,” government spokeswoman Dr Amna Al Shamsi said.
Here are the restrictions still in place across the UAE
- Masks are still mandatory
- 2m social distancing remains in place
- Restrictions on movement inside Abu Dhabi have been lifted, but entry to the emirate is still banned for most people apart from employees working in vital sectors, chronic disease patients visiting hospitals, and those transporting goods
- Bars and pubs in Dubai can only sell alcohol to people who order a meal at the same time
On Wednesday, health experts said infections in the UAE had reached 46,133 and that another 702 patients had recovered from the virus since Tuesday, while two died.
So far, 34,405 UAE residents have recovered from the disease, or about 74 per cent of those infected.
About 11,400 cases are still active and more than three million people across the UAE have been tested.
Globally, more than 9.4 million cases of Covid-19 have been recorded, with 482,000 deaths.
