DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Abu Dhabi will deny entry into nearly all public spaces, as well as schools, to people who are unvaccinated against the coronavirus, the emirate’s government announced late Monday night.

The oil-rich United Arab Emirates announced its consideration of the plan in April, but did not impose the restrictions. Now, they are set to be enacted in its capital of 1.5 million people beginning on Aug. 20.

“The Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee has approved allowing only those vaccinated to enter some public places, after vaccinating 93 per cent of target groups in the emirate and to preserve public health,” a tweet from the Abu Dhabi media office read.

The entry restrictions will apply to shopping centers, restaurants, cafes, gyms, recreational facilities, sports activities and all other retail businesses that aren’t within shopping centers or malls. An exception will remain for entry to “essential” businesses like pharmacies and supermarkets, a subsequent tweet read.

“The decision also applies to health clubs, resorts, museums and cultural centres, theme parks, universities and institutes, schools and nurseries,” the Twitter post continued.

Children under the age of 15 and those with special exemptions from vaccination will be exempt from the new rule.

Nearly everyone vaccinated
Abu Dhabi boasted its high vaccination rate, which its health ministry says is now at 93% of the emirate’s population, as part of its justification for the move.

The UAE as a whole has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with more than 15 million vaccine doses administered across its majority-expatriate population of just over 10 million. Since all the vaccines available in the UAE require two doses, that is sufficient to have fully vaccinated about 77% of the Gulf country’s population, according to a calculation by Reuters.