Ras Al Khaimah introduces strict measures to tackle Covid-19

Rules include capping mall capacity at 60 per cent

Hotel workers at the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort & Spa disinfect facilities on the day tourists were allowed to return to Dubai. A cluster of RAK's top hotels are about 45 minutes away from Dubai International Airport. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National

New measures include booking most services in advance and using mobile phones to avoid contact with staff as much as possible. Antonie Robertson / The National

Leisure staff at the hotel patrol to ensure guests are spread out in the pool and on the beach

Staff take measurements to ensure sunbeds are spread out

Staff disinfect tables and chairs as diners arrive and leave

Staff wear medical visors for their own protection and that of guests

Gyms and pools are open in RAK hotels, with staff on hand to frequently clean

RAK was the first emirate to open up its hospitality trade for staycations after a nationwide lockdown in April

Authorities in Ras Al Khaimah introduced new rules to stem the spread of Covid-19.

The measures include capping mall capacity at 60 per cent, limiting public transport capacity to 50 per cent and cutting capacity at cinemas, entertainment events and venues to 50 per cent.

In a wider UAE effort to tackle rising case numbers, other emirates introduced similar rules.

The UAE announced 3,539 new cases of infection on Wednesday. Infections have increased since January, but this has coincided with a major UAE-wide vaccination programme.

Other rules introduced by Ras Al Khaimah are:

• Fitness centres and gyms limited to 50 per cent capacity

• Capacity at pools and private beaches at hotels cut to 50 per cent

• Public beaches and parks set at 70 per cent of capacity

• The number of people allowed at family and social gatherings such as weddings is capped at 10, while funerals are allowed to have 20 

• All members of the public must maintain a physical distance of two metres
• Restaurants and cafes are required to maintain a 2m distance between tables, where no more than four people are allowed to sit together, unless they belong to the same family

Authorities in Ras Al Khaimah called on everyone to follow the rules.

The UAE has embarked on one of the fastest vaccination programmes in the world. More than four million doses have been administered so far, with officials hoping to reach 50 per cent of the population by the end of March.

As well as the Sinopharm vaccine, production of which is due to start in the country this year, Dubai also approved widespread use of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca drugs.