UAE residents flouting social distancing rules and wearing masks around their necks are putting lives at risk, health officials have warned.
Walkers and joggers with masks pulled down around their necks and groups packed together have become a common sight in Dubai Marina, among other places.
Dr Hend Al Awadhi, a public health specialist at Dubai Health Authority, appealed to residents to stick to the rules ahead of Eid celebrations.
We are still far from being back to normal. It is a big concern people are gathering to socialise in larger numbers during the holy month
"The restrictions may have eased but that does not mean coronavirus is no longer there and the pandemic is over," she told The National.
“We are still far from being back to normal.
“It is a big concern people are gathering to socialise in larger numbers during the holy month.
“There will be people who do not know they have the virus and are passing it on to others.”
Pre-symptomatic carriers of the virus pose the biggest threat to a spike in coronavirus cases, particularly if they are not following rules on social distancing.
So far, about 1.5 million people have been tested for the virus but Dr Al Awadhi said those with chronic health conditions and the elderly remain the most likely to suffer complications.
“As many families are planning for Eid, the public message remains very clear,” she said.
“Please do not go out unless necessary and try to minimise any social interaction to close family members.
“It is not wise to go in a big group to greet someone who may be more vulnerable to coronavirus.
“Big families should schedule visits to each other to reduce the risk and they should all be wearing masks and maintain social distancing.
“It will be difficult, but greeting people in the old way with a hug and kiss should not be encouraged, this is very important.
“Everybody has a responsibility to protect each other.”
Dr Mohayem Abdelghany, chief executive of Al Zahra Hospital in Dubai, said the public must understand their actions can have a bearing on whether the outbreak slows or grows.
“Restrictions are easing, but this should not be taken lightly,” he said.
“These special measures have been recommended to halt the spread of this pandemic. There should be no reason not to be at least two metres apart when outside in a large space.
“Physical distancing is crucial in slowing down the virus.
“Ignoring this will only place more pressure on our health systems that are already facing a great strain.
“All the nation’s frontline workers are doing a noble job helping patients while exposing themselves to great risk.
"People should respect this.”
Some new cases recorded in recent days have been attributed to four families who broke social distancing rules to gather for taraweeh prayers.
The number of new coronavirus cases was 783 on Tuesday and 781 on Monday, with the country's total now approaching 20,000.
While the rise in cases follows more nationwide testing, the figure is more than 200 the daily average seen less than two weeks ago when 24-hour restrictions were in place.
Dubai authorities relaxed restrictions on trade and travel last month, allowing people to move freely without a permit between 6am and 10pm and allowing malls and restaurants to reopen.
But residents were told to wear masks and only gather in groups of no more than three when exercising outside. Friends should not meet and no more than five people should be in one place together.
Dubai Marina has proven a hotspot for large gatherings after sundown.
While the hours of 7am to 9am appear to be peak time for runners, it is after dark when the crowds come out before the 10pm restriction is enforced.
Although most are wearing masks, many refuse to do so properly and ignore the two metre distance rule from others.
Groups of people have regularly been seen outside the Carrefour and Spinneys supermarkets that have become regular meet-up points.
Security guards in golf-carts are reminding people in the area of their responsibilities but face an uphill challenge, particularly with so many people out socialising after 5pm.
Anyone found not wearing a face mask in public can be hit with a police fine of Dh1,000.
Public parks and hotel beaches in Dubai began reopening on Wednesday under new rules governing the relaxation of movement restrictions. Further changes to how shops and businesses operate are due to come into effect after Ramadan.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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
Ponti
Sharlene Teo, Pan Macmillan
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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
OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE
1. Liverpool 101 points
2. Manchester City 80
3. Leicester 67
4. Chelsea 63
5. Manchester United 61
6. Tottenham 58
7. Wolves 56
8. Arsenal 56
9. Sheffield United 55
10. Everton 50
11. Burnley 49
12. Crystal Palace 49
13. Newcastle 46
14. Southampton 44
15. West Ham 39
16. Brighton 37
17. Watford 36
18. Bournemouth 36
19. Aston Villa 32
20. Norwich City 29
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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.
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Our House, Louise Candlish,
Simon & Schuster
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
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
