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BREAKING NEWS: No more masks! NCEMA announces Children no longer have to wear face masks in UAE schools as major remaining Covid 19 restriction ends. KHDA confirms.
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BREAKING NEWS: No more masks! NCEMA announces Children no longer have to wear face masks in UAE schools as major remaining Covid 19 restriction ends. KHDA confirms.

by Tabitha BardaSeptember 26, 2022

Children no longer have to wear face masks while at school, according to an announcement by the National Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA).

In a media briefing on Monday, NCEMA announced the lifting of face mask regulations in all closed areas – including schools – aside from medical facilities, mosques and public transport:

“In our briefing today, we announce the easing of a number of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and all these conditions will be applied starting from Wednesday, September 28, 2022.

“With regard to face masks, wearing them is still mandatory in medical facilities, mosques and public transportation. All food service providers, those suspected of having COVID-19 must also wear masks, in order to preserve the safety of society, especially those from the most vulnerable groups.”

“Other than that, wearing a mask is optional for all other open and closed facilities and places, but we recommend the continued wearing of masks for senior citizens and those with chronic diseases in order to preserve their safety and health.”

The news has now been officially confirmed by the KHDA, this ending restrictions in Dubai schools:

KHDA confirms ending of mask restrictions in Dubai schools

This news comes as a welcome relief to many parents in the UAE, who have been consistently lobbying the UAE education authorities on social media, demanding that the mask regulation be removed.

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Parents have been on standby after the trailer for the video (below) was released, with an outpouring of pleas to the government that the last major restriction on children be Covid-19 be finally lifted:

Commenting on the announcement, Shauna Ramskill, Irish mother of three living in Dubai, told SchoolsCompared :

“This news makes me so, so happy! FINALLY, our kids can now breathe properly, socialize and interact with their friends with no more masks.”

Michael Lambert, Headmaster of Dubai College, responded to the news:

“So tomorrow, Tuesday 27th September, we must enjoy wearing our masks for the last time in hopefully forever.”

This is a fast moving and story and will be updated.

Latest updates…

  • Mask restrictions in bars/restaurants ended
  • Mask restrictions in shopping malls confirmed ended
  • Mask restrictions in supermarkets confirmed ended
  • Mask restrictions on school teachers, staff and school leadership ended
  • The daily publication of Covid-19 cases will end

Continued…

Final Covid Case number data published in UAE as mask restrictions for schools end

Could be the last daily Covid-19 case data released in the UAE? Case numbers for 26 September 2022 showing decline of case numbers – a key driver for today’s decision to  end mask restrictions in UAE schools.

NEW! Exceptions to the removal of the ban

  • (1) Students and teachers with chronic diseases and (2) people of determination should both continue to wear masks and conduct a PCR test in case of contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case. This is a recommendation rather than absolute.
  • Food service providers in schools should continue to wear masks. This is a recommendation rather than absolute.

Do you welcome the news – or would you rather masks stay? How have your children responded to the news? Let me know at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you.

Visit the KHDA here.

Visit  NCEMA here.

Visit ADEK here.

© SchoolsCompared.com. A WhichMedia Group publication. 2022. All rights reserved.

 

 

About The Author
Tabitha Barda
Tabitha Barda is the Senior Editor of SchoolsCompared.com. Oxbridge educated and an award winning journalist in the UAE for more than a decade, Tabitha is one of the region's shining lights in all that is education in the emirates. A mum herself, she is passionate about helping parents - and finding the stories in education that deserve telling. She is responsible for the busy 24x7 News Desk, our Advisory Boards and Specialist Panels - and Parents United's WHICHPlaydates - a regular meeting place for UAE parents to discuss the issues that matter to them, make friends and network with others. You can often find Tabitha too on Parents United - our Facebook community board, discussing the latest schools and education issues with our parent community in the UAE - and beyond.

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