Sharjah reopens public beaches as country reports 3 days free of COVID-19 deaths

DUBAI: UAE’s Sharjah has reopened its public beaches as the country gradually eases its coronavirus restrictions, state news agency WAM reported.

The emirate’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Team urged people to follow all precautionary measures and maintain social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus.

The move comes as the UAE announced that it had tested more than 5 million people for the coronavirus, since the start of the pandemic.

There were 164 new cases recorded overnight, bringing the he total number of infections to 61,163, but government spokesman Omar Al-Hammadi said the recovery rate had increased to 90 percent.

The number of people to have recovered now stands at 54,863 after a further 248 patients tested coronavirus free overnight – with no COVID-19 deaths recorded in the past three days.

And Al-Hammadi said children over two-years-old should wear masks, as they are not immune to the virus, local daily Gulf News reported.

He added that although they are less likely to develop severe symptoms, they can still carry the virus and transmit it.

Children should not wear masks if they have difficulty breathing or cannot take them off themselves, he said.