Dubai Municipality oversees implementation of sterilisation programme in private schools
12 March 2020
| Last updated on 12 March 2020
Image credit: WAM
Sterilisation of Dubai's private schools is currently being carried out by specialised companies.
Schools, nurseries and universities have been closed for one week now, and in this time, Dubai Municipality has been busy implementing preventive measures to help combat the spread of the new coronavirus.
As part of the UAE’s efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19, and the measures followed by various Dubai Government entities, Dubai Municipality has already overseen the implementation of sterilisation procedures in 80 schools already, with more still yet to be treated.
The sterilisation was carried out by specialised companies according to the directives of the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention and the guidelines of the World Health Organisation, WHO.
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Since schools closed early for Spring Break, students will be required to continue their studies via distance e-learning classes from March 22, as per the Ministry of Education. During this time, the comprehensive sterilisation programme is being implemented in 208 private schools to ensure the health and safety of 300,000 students as well as staff, according to Dr. Naseem Mohammed Rafee, Head of Dubai Municipality’s Public Health and Safety Department.
Specialised companies are conducting the sterilisation with products that ensure effective disinfection without causing any harm to people’s health, in compliance with the standards of the Municipality.
Dr. Rafee further said school buses will also be sterilised as part of the programme. The Municipality is currently coordinating with the Roads and Transport Authority, RTA, and private schools to commence the sterilisation of buses.

What is the sterilisation process?
The sterilisation process in each school will take between 6 and 48 hours depending on the size of the institution. The sterilisation team will not leave the school premises until comprehensive disinfection procedures have been carried out in accordance with Dubai Municipality requirements, she stressed.
During the procedure, sterilisation seeks to remove debris, organic matter and other material that pose contamination risks and ensure protection from harmful bacteria and viruses. As part of the procedure, cleaning teams spray an anti-microbial protectant on surfaces that provides additional protection for 30 days. The sterilisation also includes controlled fumigation to disinfect AC units.
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Dr. Rafee underscored the importance of effective coordination between school management and staff to maintain high levels of hygiene and cleanliness after the resumption of classes.
Dubai Municipality has also issued directives to schools to ensure daily cleaning procedures will be carried out using approved high-quality products to ensure the highest level of decontamination when students and staff are able to return to classrooms.
Source: wam.ae