Photo has been used for illustrative purpose.

Sohaila Ahmed, Staff Reporter

The Department of Economic Development in Ajman has issued on Tuesday a circular to the owners of shopping malls, commercial centers, and barber shops and men’s and women’s grooming salons in respect of reopening centers and salons as of Monday, April 27, and following the “Guidelines and Protocols for Reopening of Economic Activities” which cites all the precautions and preventive measures and requisitions to limit the spread of Corona virus “Covid-19”.

The guidelines have been recently announced to ensure the preparedness and early readiness of facilities and their understanding of the requisitions and the implementation thereof.

The department allowed the reopening of commercial centers from 12 noon to 9pm, and that the reopened shopping malls, markets and wholesale stores would exercise their activities with regarding the precautionary and preventive measures as stated in the guidelines.

The family entertainment activity, cinemas, gyms, fitness clubs, changing rooms and prayer rooms and children’s play areas will continue to be closed.

The department called on the owners of salon shops to adhere to the controls mentioned in the guidelines, such as the obligation to close the salon during the national sterilization program, in addition to the need for the customers to pre-book in order to be welcomed; and to receive only 30% of the total capacity of the store; and consider the physical distance of at least 2 meters between each other customer, as well as to limit the provided service to shaving, hairdressing and manicure only; and not to serve the elderly over the age of 60 and the children between 3 and 12 years old; and the use of tools for one time only with adherence to the preventive and hygienic conditions when replacing them; the employees should wear face masks and gloves and wash and sterilize their hands before and after each service, and to cleanse; sterilize and disinfect tools, seats and stores daily and periodically.

Ahmed Khair Al Balushi, Director of the Control and Consumer Protection Department at the Department of Economic Development, stated, “A team of inspectors; “Field Knights”, will carry out inspection campaigns immediately to determine the application of the commercial centers and salon stores of the published controls in order to ensure the health and safety of the society and to avoid obstructing the efforts of combating the Corona virus pandemic. A violation will be recorded against any institution in the case of repeated violations, and it will be closed in the event of the repeated non-compliance.”