Dubai Municipality issued circulars to define a package of binding precautionary measures, and sent them to all pool operators, in preparation for the stage of reopening public and private pools in the emirate, starting today and until further notice.
The measures identified by the municipality included 23 procedures, which were the necessity of taking measures related to cleaning and sterilizing swimming pools, before reopening, including the withdrawal of water samples to ensure that water is free from bacterial contamination, as well as adhering to the hygiene and sterilization requirements related to swimming pools, the most important of which is the periodic sampling , And keep the chlorine content in swimming pools.
The procedures included carrying out extensive cleaning and sterilization operations for all contact sites, and common facilities include knobs, chairs, tables, toilets, showers, and all related places. All visitors must adhere to hygiene rules, including not spitting in the pool, covering the nose And the mouth when coughing or sneezing, and bathing before and after entering the pool, it is allowed to open bathing platforms, changing rooms and wardrobes, with the need to sterilize between each user or every hour, and adhere to the principles of social divergence "2 meters" at all times, and in the case of not being able to Commitment These facilities are kept closed.
According to the municipality’s procedures, provision or provision of towels is prohibited, and swimming pool attendees must bring their own towels. The sunbed must be covered with an additional layer, which must be removed and replaced with a new one after each use, “including the complete sterilization of sun chairs after each use.” .
The municipality stipulated the necessity of providing automatic devices for sterilizing hands in all public and shared places, and the need to ensure that the ventilation, refrigeration and air-conditioning system for indoor swimming pools is working properly, with an appropriate amount of fresh air being pumped, and directing visitors not to share with people tools that are difficult to clean or sterilize or that Face contact such as goggles, nose plugs, snorkeling gear, food, equipment and supplies.
The procedures included the necessity of training all employees and making them aware of the procedures related to safety, sterilization and social divergence, measuring the temperature of employees and visitors before entering the pool area, and not allowing those who exhibit heat symptoms, higher than 37.5 degrees from entering the site, as well as not allowing those suffering from chronic diseases Or respiratory diseases from entering the mosque.
The municipality stipulated the necessity of providing a isolation zone to receive the suspected cases, until contact with the Dubai Health Authority, and in the event that the swimming pool is located in a site that has an isolation room, the isolation room is used on this site without the need for a special isolation room for the pool, and all persons must adhere to a distance of 2 Meters between them inside and outside the pool, and groups of people "more than 5 people" are committed to a distance of 4 meters between each group inside and outside the pool, and the pool operator must take all necessary measures to do so, including the redistribution of sun loungers.
The municipality stressed the need to maintain the capacity in the pool, at a rate of one person per 4 square meters, signs of the capacity of the pool should be placed at the entrance according to the size of the pool, and children should be supervised by their relatives at all times, to ensure social separation in the designated pool for them.
All visitors to the pool must not spend no more than two hours in the pool, as well as adhering to all Dubai Municipality circulars regarding food establishments, and it is not permitted to open the bar area in the pool, and all visitors and workers must wear a mask at all times, but it must be removed while swimming.
The municipality demanded that all guidelines for the public be placed in a clear location at the entrances and exits, and in all locations in the pool area, and not all massage, spa, sauna and jacuzzi services are permitted.