Supermarkets are allowed to host only 30% of customers of their original capacity Sharjah residents will receive a 10% discount on electricity and water bills DUBAI: UAE authorities have given the green light for supermarkets, groceries and pharmacies to remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help people maintain supplies during the coronavirus crisis, state news agency WAM reported on Wednesday. But the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the National Emergency and Crisis and Disasters Management Authority said the shops should allow only 30 percent of their total customer occupancy into the premises at any time to ensure recommended physical distance of two meters between customers. “All bodies concerned have to abide by the preventive and precautionary measures taken by the State’s competent bodies to ensure public safety and people’s well-being,” the two authorities said in a joint statement. And Majid Al-Futtaim will temporarily redeploy 1,015 of their staff from leisure, entertainment and cinema departments to work at Carrefour, to support the hypermarkets’ physical and online stores function. The UAE-based company said the employees are located in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman and Lebanon. All malls in the country will be closed for two weeks starting Wednesday as part of the country’s efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus. Meanwhile, the Ruler of Sharjah, Sultan Al-Qasimi said all residents’ electricity and water bills would be reduced by 10 percent to support those who have been financially affected by the spread of COVID-19.