Abu Dhabi: Re-opening restaurants and Cafes outside shopping malls

In line with directives issued by NCEMA to curb the spread of COVID-19, Abu Dhabi DED in cooperation with Abu Dhabi agriculture and food safety authority issued a circular detailing precautionary measures that must be taken to reopen restaurants, cafes and coffee shops outside shopping malls in Abu Dhabi.

Directives include: limiting the capacity of restaurants to 40%, ensuring that workers are virus-free through testing, only allowing entry to those between the ages of 12 and 60, ensuring a maximum of 4 people per table, and distancing tables 2.5m apart.

The department emphasised that employees must wear face masks and gloves at all times while on duty, and clean and sanitise all surfaces and tools daily, and chairs and tables after each use. Customers are required to wear face masks when entering and exiting.

Rules prohibit buffets, open food displays, food samples, shared canapés & shisha. Staff must ensure regular temperature checks of employees, and refuse entry to those with a high temperature. Work hours should be consistent with National Sterilisation Programme timings.

ADDED also called on all establishments to use single-use cutlery. However, multiple-use cutlery is allowed if the facility has thermal dishwashers that ensure high-temperature sterilisation. Hand sanitisers should be placed at entrances.