Mohammed Yassin, Staff Reporter

On Sunday, Dubai government employees will resume work at a rate of 100%, after an absence of three months, during which work was done remotely as part of the precautionary measures applied to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19.

The decision of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council excluded the elderly of 60 years old, People of Determination, pregnant employees, employees who suffer from chronic diseases, tumors and respiratory diseases which cause weak immunity, or who suffer diseases causing weak immunity according to a medical report issued by government medical institution.

The decision also excluded female employees, mothers following their children’s education remotely, from the ninth grade or less, until the end of the current academic year.

The Dubai Government’s Human Resources Department previously issued a return to work protocol which was distributed to all government departments, including guidance for employees and departments. The protocol stressed the need to use face masks, which is mandatory during working hours, since leaving the home, on the road, at the workplace, and during returning home, avoiding handshaking, and following the rules of physical spacing by leaving a distance of at least two metres between people, especially while on the move and while waiting for public transportation. It also stressed washing hands with soap and water for a period of at least 20 seconds, and covering the mouth and nose with a handkerchief or elbow crease when coughing, reading labels and follow instructions on prevention and maintenance methods.

MEDICAL AID: Theodore Ribera, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Chile, welcomed the aid plane sent on Friday to his country as part of the UAE’s efforts to help various countries around the world in containing the spread of COVID-19.

The plane carried 9 metric tonnes of medical supplies to Chile to bolster the country’s efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. The aid will assist approximately 9,000 medical professionals as they work to contain the virus.

Commenting on the aid delivery, Abdul Razzaq Mohamed Hadi, UAE Ambassador to Chile, stated: “Relations between the UAE and Chile are constantly evolving, and there is keenness to develop cooperation between our two countries. The medical assistance provided to Chile today comes within the framework of strengthening bilateral relations and contributing to the efforts of the relevant authorities in the country to combat COVID-19 by providing protection to frontline medical workers.”