Coronavirus: Dubai Police help tourist stranded by pandemic return home

Officers found her in a state of distress after she checked out of her hotel because she had run out of money

Safety measures are implemented at The Butcher restaurant in the Marina. Dubai. All photos by Chris Whiteoak / The National

Covid-19 safety measures are implemented at The Butcher restaurant in the Marina, Dubai.

A "stay safe" sign in Jumeirah.

A man makes his deliveries on a moped in the Marina, Dubai.

A man at the marina hoses down a boat.

A Five hotel employee puts luggage through a Ultra Violet sanitiser machine.

The Waterfront Market in Deira, Dubai.

People look at artwork for sale at Anyahh Art in Dubai.

A man wearing a mask at Anyahh Art, Dubai.

A woman takes pictures in Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, with a protective mask on.

A Covid-19 message is painted on a Dubai street.

A couple walk home from the shops in JVC, Dubai.

Dubai Police helped a tourist return to her home country after she became stuck in the emirate when Covid-19 grounded flights worldwide.

The woman was spotted in a “distressed and fatigued” state by officers in a patrol car.

Brig Abdul Raheem Bin Shafia, director of Al Barsha Police Station, said she looked as though she needed help.

“As our officers accompanied her to the station, they learned the woman had come to Dubai with a tourist visa before the coronavirus outbreak,” he said.

When airports around the world closed to commercial flights, the tourist, from an unspecified Asian country, became stuck in Dubai.

Brig Bin Shafia said the holidaymaker eventually ran out of money and had to check out of her hotel.

Police referred her to their Victim Support Programme, where staff took her to hospital for undisclosed care.

They also booked her a room at a hotel, where she stayed until flights resumed.

“We provided her with a ticket to fly back home and facilitated her Covid-19 test and travel procedures,” Brig Bin Shafia said.