Coronavirus: Dubai's Sheikh Hamdan issues plea for public to stay home

Crown Prince of Dubai says emirate is not 'immune' to danger posed by pandemic

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, asked people to practice social distancing to help slow the spread of coronavirus. Courtesy: Wam    

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, has issued a heartfelt plea for residents to stay at home and lead the fight against coronavirus.

Sheikh Hamdan said social distancing was "not a choice" if the country were to overcome the "real threat" posed by the pandemic.

Using the the Instastory feature on Instagram, @Faz3, as he is known on the social networking platform, posted a long memo in English and Arabic.

“This pandemic is a very real threat to each and every one of of us, our families and friends,” he wrote.

“The only way to guarantee that we safeguard the well-being of our loved ones is to act now, together and without exceptions. Stay home.”

Sheikh Hamdan thanked UAE hospital workers and emergency response teams leading efforts to contain the outbreak.

He cautioned that Dubai is not immune from the crisis, while asking everyone to take the coronavirus seriously.

Omar Ghobash, assistant minister for culture and diplomacy, echoed Sheikh Hamdan’s message for people to remain in their homes.

“Remember we are only as strong as our weakest link," Mr Ghobash said. "We’re here for you and trust that we can count on your commitment to act responsibly.”

Sheikh Hamdan concluded the message with the increasingly popular #StayHome hashtag.

It has been used by health and government officials and people all over the world as a way to stress the effectiveness of social distancing to combat the spread of Covid-19.

Sheikh Hamdan also used Twitter to make a similar point to the 4 million users who follow his @HamdanMohammed handle.

Around the globe there have been more than 15,000 deaths related to coronavirus among 340,000 confirmed cases, and 100,000 recoveries.