It feels like a lifetime ago, but it has been just over 100 days since a family on holiday from China became the first Covid-19 cases reported in the UAE.
The group from the city of Wuhan – the centre of what was then not a full-blown pandemic – took their grandmother to a clinic with flu-like symptoms on January 23.
All four family members, including the parents and a girl, 9, were tested and found to have Covid-19. They had arrived in Dubai on an Emirates flight a week earlier.
At the time, the coronavirus was ravaging parts of China, with more people 80 dead and nearly 3,000 confirmed cases. Only a day before the news broke, Minister of Health Abdul Rahman Al Owais had declared the UAE to be free of the disease.
However, the authorities knew it was only a matter of time before the contagion arrived and had acted accordingly.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention had put airports and entry points to the country on standby to monitor for possible cases at least a week earlier. By January 25, Etihad was screening passengers and crew arriving from China, with dedicated gates at Abu Dhabi airport and thermal cameras to detect symptoms.
At the same time, hospitals and health clinics were drawing up plans and running emergency drills for when – as seemed increasingly certain – not if, Covid-19 came to the UAE.
That fateful last week in January also gave the world and the UAE the first taste of what might be in store for their economies, as oil prices began what would turn out to be a long slide downward as demand began to fall.
Within days of the first UAE cases, concerns began to spread, with a huge surge in demand for face masks such that one online retailer was offering them for Dh699 each.
On February 1, another case was declared, another traveller from China, while a fall in demand led Emirates to switch to smaller planes on some of its routes to the country.
By February 22, an Iranian couple brought the number of UAE cases to 13, as the ending of the Venice Carnival gave a taste of what was soon to come, with Dubai private schools told to cancel all trips a week later and nurseries closed.
By the end of the month, the final stage of the UAE Tour had to be cancelled as two hotels on Yas Island were placed on lockdown after two Italian cyclists tested positive for coronavirus.
It was March when the storm truly broke, beginning with widespread cancellations and postponements and the closure of all schools for at least a month on March 3. The next day, orders were given for all football in the UAE to be played in empty stadiums, with the UAE’s World Cup qualifiers postponed on March 9.
That week, Art Dubai and Taste of Dubai were postponed, Global Village was closed and local cruise operations were suspended. By March 10, the number of UAE cases had risen to 74. A day later, shisha smoking was banned in “tourist establishments”.
On March 14, the UAE Central Bank rolled out a Dh100 billion stimulus package, ahead of much of the world, as oil prices continued their steep plunge. Across the country, gyms, theme parks and cinemas were closed.
The world was now pulling down the shutters. In mid-March, visas-on-arrival were cancelled for more than 70 countries, followed by the temporary suspension of entry for GCC citizens on March 21.
A day earlier came the sad news of the first two coronavirus-related deaths in the country, included a 78-year-old Arab national who had recently arrived from Europe.
March 23 will long be remembered. Malls and markets were ordered to close within 48 hours, except for those selling food and medicines. All flights were suspended and everyone told to stay at home unless “absolutely necessary”. The number of Covid-19 cases in the UAE topped 300, and banks were told only to use new notes in ATMs. A night curfew was introduced for deep cleaning of streets at the weekend of March 26.
The first rescue flights to bring home hundreds of Emiratis stranded overseas began in early April, while Emirates and Etihad announced the start of limited one-way repatriation flights for residents who wished to return home. Dubai closed its Metro for the first time since September 9, 2009.
By April 5, there had been 1,799 cases of Covid-19 in the UAE and 10 deaths. Across the country families settled to a new routine of working and studying from home, while Christians celebrated Easter on April 12 with remote services streamed from empty churches. From April 13, passengers leaving the country had a sticker placed on their passport reading “We’ll meet soon.”
By the middle of the month, the UAE had conducted nearly 650,000 Covid-19 tests, the third highest in the world per capita, diagnosing more than 4,000 cases but with 680 recoveries. These were carried out at hospitals, specialist centres and at least 14 drive-through testing facilities across the country.
A new hospital dedicated to Covid-19 patients opened at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City on April 23. It had been built in just 48 hours. Field hospitals were also built across the country to increase capacity.
By the end of April, there were the first signs of a return to a more normal life. Contactless card readers were introduced in Abu Dhabi taxis and several Dubai Metro stations opened on April 29. Hotels began to reopen, with facilities restricted to guests, while shopping malls were able to welcome back customers.
Just 100 days after the first known case, the UAE has recorded more than 16,000 infections, and sadly, as of May 7, 165 deaths.
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The five pillars of Islam
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Tuesday results:
- Singapore bt Malaysia by 29 runs
- UAE bt Oman by 13 runs
- Hong Kong bt Nepal by 3 wickets
Final:
Thursday, UAE v Hong Kong
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Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
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The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
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- How do we shape the future?
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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