Central Bank of The UAE has sent out instructions to all banks in the country to take into consideration expatriate’s visas and Emirates IDs with expiry dates between March 1 and December 31, 2021, as valid proof for bank transactions.

According to Khaleej Times, the decision will also cover all residents who are either inside or outside the country.

The banks have also received instructions that entry permits issued to ex-pats in the UAE from March 1 – December 31, 2020, should be considered as valid.

Last week, the UAE government had announced that all visas, entry permits and Emirates IDs that expired after March 1, 2020, would remain valid until the end of 2020.

Both decisions have been taken to ensure all relief initiatives are available to expatriates living in the UAE and affected by the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, which has sent the country into lockdown mode with restriction of movement in efforts to curb the spread.

Earlier yesterday, the government announced a full recovery of 74 coronavirus patients after receiving the necessary healthcare, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,360.

As many as 25,795 additional tests were conducted across various emirates, which led to the identification of 484 new cases among various nationalities, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 7,265.