Abu Dhabi issues guidelines for hotels to reopen

Hotels in Abu Dhabi will be permitted to reopen if they adhere to new guidelines issued by the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) – Abu Dhabi, official news agency WAM reported.

Hotels in the UAE capital were closed in March due to the health and safety precautionary measures imposed to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Some of the guidelines include regular sterilisation, installation of thermal cameras and restrictions on entertainment activities.

To obtain approval to reopen, hotels must comply with all the measures issued by DCT Abu Dhabi.

“The guidelines set out stringent criteria for the hotels to follow, which our inspectors will confirm with on-site visits,” WAM quoted Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, executive director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi, as saying.

“Once these high standards of health and safety are met, DCT Abu Dhabi will approve the reopening, and trading can resume. We are adamant that both hotel staff and visitors should be 100 per cent confident in their own safety, as we start the resumption of ‘normal’ activities since the pandemic situation arose,” he added.

Also read: Abu Dhabi issues guidelines for reopening restaurants, lounges and bars in hotels

Abu Dhabi issues new guidelines for businesses reopening

GUIDELINES:

* Sterilisation of the facilities on a regular basis, provision of hand sanitisers at the facility entrance and the defining of clear and separate entry and exit points

* Installation of thermal cameras which have been integrated with the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority system

* A separate room to isolate suspected coronavirus cases and a medical team that is on standby throughout operating hours

* All visitors must wear masks at all times and should be encouraged to use ‘smart’ payments as a preferred method

* Social distancing markings to be clearly defined on floors and escalators. Elevators will be entirely dedicated to People of Determination

* All the outlets within hotels can only stay open from 6am until 7pm

* In F&B outlets, only four people will be allowed on each table, with 2.5 metres between each table

* The capacity for each establishment will be capped at 30 per cent of the total. Restaurants and lounges will be required to hang signage at the entrance indicating they have reached the allowed occupancy

* Visitors to hotel facilities will be allowed for a maximum of three hours

* No entertainment activities of any kind will be allowed

* All returning employees will have to undergo Covid-19 screening before being allowed back to work. Tests will have to be performed on a bi-weekly basis. Temperature checks will also be carried out on all staff on a regular basis throughout working hours, with hotel employees also trained for emergency response protocols for the Covid-19 virus.