THE UAE SPRINGS INTO ACTION
UAE authorities acted swiftly. On March 8, the Ministry of Education announced the closure of schools and higher education institutions for four weeks, and distance learning commenced from March 22. In another week, federal government employees were asked to start working remotely.
Gulf News
An empty Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai following the stay-at-home orders to curb coronavirus infections.
As the number of cases steadily inched up, the UAE authorities lost no time in taking proactive measures to check the spread of the virus.
On March 8, the Ministry of Education announced the closure of all schools and higher education institutions in the UAE for four weeks, with two weeks covering the spring break and distance learning commencing from the third week (March 22).
On March 15, the UAE mandated federal government employees to start working remotely for two weeks.
Shops were also asked to reduce their timings – 12noon to 8pm instead of 10am to 10pm. By March 25, malls, commercial centres and markets, barring supermarkets and pharmacies, were also told to shut down for a fortnight, with restaurants catering only to deliveries.
On the same day, private companies were also asked to adopt the remote working system. And all inbound and outbound passenger flights to and from the UAE were suspended for two weeks.
The coronavirus toll by now stood at 85, with two deaths. In hindsight, the numbers may appear small, but it is to the UAE’s credit that it quickly rolled out such emphatic measures to contain the virus spread.