Dubai announced a two-week lockdown starting on Saturday to combat the spread of coronavirus, the state-run news agency WAM said, citing Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management.
During this time, “individuals will not be allowed to leave the house, except for essential purposes,” WAM reported. Only one family member is permitted to leave the house for essential goods like food or medicine.
Individuals found violating these instructions “will face legal action.” Besides the sterilization efforts, “extensive medical tests will be conducted across densely populated areas of Dubai,” WAM reported.
As of Saturday, Dubai’s health authority confirmed a total of 1,505 cases of Covid-19 in the United Arab Emirates and 10 deaths. Dubai reported 241 new cases, about 16% of the country’s total, on Saturday.
