UAE considers reopening malls, shortens de facto curfew by 2 hours – reports

The United Arab Emirates has shortened a nationwide coronavirus curfew by two hours. It will now run daily from 10pm to 6am (6pm to 2am GMT) for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, state news agency WAM reported on Thursday.

The curfew aimed at controlling the spread of coronavirus had previously run from 8pm to 6am daily. It was unclear whether Dubai – one of the Gulf country’s seven emirates, which has been under a 24-hour curfew since March 26 – was included in the latest decision, Reuters said.

The Health Ministry and crisis authorities have also requested a study into the possibility of reopening commercial centers with their private sector partners “while taking into consideration health requirements,” a WAM report said.

The UAE has so far recorded more than 8,000 cases of the novel coronavirus, including 52 deaths, according to officials.