Some used expired tobacco and others violated Corona procedures.
"Dubai Municipality" violates 133 cafes and closes 8 since the return of the introduction of "hookah"
Monitoring the presence of persons under the age of 18 in designated smoking areas. Archive
Dubai Municipality revealed that it violated 133 cafes and closed eight cafes, due to violations, the most prominent of which was related to failure to comply with precautionary measures to confront the emerging "Corona" virus, and the use of expired "molasses" tobacco products, as well as the admission of persons under the age of 18, since it was allowed to reopen Places for smoking and shisha bars, starting from July 18.
The municipality explained to "Emirates Today" that since the reopening of places designated for smoking in cafes, and permission for smoking hookah, the municipality has been keen to intensify its inspection campaigns and visits to ensure the highest level of compliance, as 1228 inspection visits were carried out, resulting in the violation of 133 sites, of which they were closed Eight, indicating that the commitment rate reached 89%.
She pointed out that the municipality inspectors detected a package of violations committed by cafes during the past period, which was the failure to adhere to the precautionary measures related to confronting Corona, especially taking into account the social distancing distances between people, or the distances between tables, and allowing overcrowding inside the site, as well as non-compliance with practices Health, such as «the participation of more than one person in smoking one hookah, and the use of hoses multi-use instead of single-use».
The list of violations also included cafes' use of expired (honeyed) products, providing hookah services without a permit or an expired permit, and some ignored the requirements for proper ventilation inside the site, failure to operate air conditioning systems, as well as monitoring the presence of persons under the age of 18 years inside Smoking places are a violation of the law.
The municipality affirmed that it obligated all cafes in the Emirate of Dubai to take precautionary measures that should be followed for the stage of reopening the places designated for smoking and places for serving hookah, starting from last July 18, the most prominent of which is the commitment of the hookah service staff to wash hands before and after providing the service, and to measure the temperature of the employees, workers, and visitors. Before entering the facility area and not allowing those with symptoms of heat higher than 37.5 to enter the site, the facility’s management should allocate an isolation room, and establish procedures for dealing with suspected or confirmed cases of "Covid 19", in addition to disinfection procedures, according to municipal guidelines. Dubai, Dubai Health Authority, and all parts of the hookah, including tongs, must be cleaned and disinfected before and after each user.
The municipality stressed the need to use single-use hookah hoses only, and the hookah must be washed and disinfected deeply and the water used must be changed after each user, and it is not allowed to test the hookah by employees before applying to the customer, and the periodicity of hygiene and disinfection must be increased in smoking areas. The list of requirements also included the necessity to provide containers for special polluted waste at all main entrances, and in common areas for medical waste (masks and gloves), and to remove them frequently. Hand sanitizers must be provided in different areas of the site, and the obligation to provide ventilation systems and air purification according to requirements Dubai Municipality also allows valet parking services for all establishments while ensuring that the preventive measures specified for this service are followed, and to ensure that a safe physical distance of 2 meters is maintained throughout the café, restaurant or facility, and the need to ensure that there is a distance of two meters between each table and the limit Maximum five seats per table in the smoking area.
Precautionary measures
Dubai Municipality emphasized the necessity to provide clear ground signs and signs that clearly indicate physical distancing distances, and to allocate an area of four square meters for each person within the smoking area. Gatherings or parties are not allowed, and groups of more than five people are not allowed to be in the smoking area, and precautionary measures are included. Not allowing clients to be in the smoking area for more than three hours, and ensuring that visitors sterilize their hands upon arrival, and using sanitized plastic “dishes, cups, or packages” or that can be disposed of and individually wrapped. And it called for encouraging the use of electronic payment methods, publishing precautionary measures and requirements among employees and visitors using various communication methods, and ensuring that training is provided to hookah employees to maintain preventive disinfection.
1228
An inspection visit for Dubai Municipality employees to ensure the highest level of compliance.