UAE could reintroduce curfew if COVID-19 cases rise, official says
UAE could reintroduce a de-facto overnight curfew in some areas of the country if there are a high number of COVID-19 infections there, a government official said.
UAE has seen the number of cases rise this week to over 400 for the first time since mid-July, including 461 infections and two deaths in the 24 hours to Thursday.
Asked if the national sterilisation programme, which had included a night time curfew, could again be enforced, National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) spokesman Seif al-Zahri told Emirates TV: “Yes, that’s possible in certain areas where we observe high infection cases.”
The regional business and tourism hub on June 24 removed a nationwide curfew in place since mid-March and commercial businesses and public venues have gradually reopened, said Reuters.
Health minister Abdul Rahman Bin Mohammed al-Owais warned the number of cases could rise after an “alarming” increase over the previous two weeks.
