Coronavirus: Dubai to impose new restrictions on travel and shopping

Only one member of a household will be allowed to leave home for essential items - and masks and gloves must be worn

Carrefour shoppers at the parking lot with their groceries at the Yas Mall. Victor Besa / The National

People wearing protective face mask after doing shopping at the Carrefour supermarket in Ibn Battuta mall in Dubai. UAE government told residents to wear facemask and gloves all the times outside the home. Pawan Singh / The National

A grocery shopper with a face mask on at Souk Planet, Khalifa City. Face masks should be worn at all times when outside the home, the UAE government said on Saturday. Victor Besa / The National

People wearing protective face mask after doing shopping at the Carrefour in Discovery Pavilion in Discovery Gardens area in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

A delivery driver stacks water to provide to residents in an extremely quiet Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

One of the shopper with protective face mask after doing shopping at the Carrefour supermarket in Ibn Battuta mall in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, April 5, 2020. Grocery shoppers with face mask s on at Souk Planet, Khalifa City. Face masks should be worn at all times when outside the home, the UAE government said on Saturday. Victor Besa / The National

A construction worker crosses the street with a mask on at Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi. Face masks should be worn at all times when outside the home. Victor Besa / The National

A lone Zomato delivery man crosses the Al Bandar overpass at Khalifa City. Victor Besa / The National

The Warner Brothers theme park on Yas Island was temporarily closed during the pandemic. Victor Besa / The National

Barriers in place at Sunset Beach near Jumeirah Beach Hotel, during the height of the pandemic. Antonie Robertson / The National

A cleaner drives a street sweeper in Jumeirah, Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

Pharmacies across the country have seen a spike in sales of face masks. Antonie Robertson / The National

A man prays alone in a car park in Sharjah when mosques, churches and temples were temporarily closed. Antonie Robertson / The National

Lines of taxis sit outside Global Village in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A healthcare worker on her way to work on a gloomy Monday morning at the Al Mushrif area of Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

During the height of the pandemic the RTA closed entrances leading to Al Ras area of Dubai from three main roads and interchanges: Al Musalla, Al Khaleej, and Baniyas Streets. Reem Mohammed / The National

An empty Sunset Beach located between the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Kite Beach in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

A man walks, while wearing a mask, to get to work in Dubai during the stay home policy in the UAE. Antonie Robertson / The National .

A man cleans the Barsha Heights welcome sign at the entrance to the neighbourhood in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management announced increased restrictions on movement in Al Ras area of Dubai for two weeks to facilitate intensified sterilisation procedures in 2020. Reem Mohammed / The National

A sign at Global Village thanking Dubai's heroes. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A man waits on the street with a face mask on outside a restaurant in Barsha Heights in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Latest: Dubai residents cannot leave home without new permit

Dubai imposed tougher restrictions on movement and travel from Saturday night, April 4.

Only one member of a household will be allowed to leave the home for essential shopping – and they must wear a mask and gloves at all times.

In addition, "extensive testing" will be rolled out in densely populated areas to identify cases of Covid-19.

Food retail outlets, such as Union Co-op stores and supermarkets, as well as pharmacies and food and medicine delivery services will be allowed to operate as usual.

The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management said the new rules came into effect at 8pm on Saturday and will last for two weeks.

It warned residents they would be fined or subject to tougher legal action if found to be in breach of the order.

"Individuals will not be allowed to leave the house, except for essential purposes or if they are working in vital sectors exempted from the restrictions," Dubai Media Office said.

"These measures have been put in place to ensure people undertake trips outside the home in a planned and organised way."

The Roads and Transport Authority announced public bus services would be free of charge for people "who need to leave their homes for essential purposes and those who work in vital sectors.

"The decision underscores the RTA’s commitment to support the efforts made by Dubai and the UAE to combat the novel coronavirus and reduce the risk of its spread to the minimum," said Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA.

Dubai Taxi vehicles and franchised taxis will offer a 50-percent discount on normal fares.

Earlier, officials confirmed 241 new Covid-19 cases, taking the total to 1,505. The death of an Arab national, aged 53, took the death toll to 10, while 17 more people recovered, for a total of 125.

The new tally means the number of cases almost tripled in a week. Officials said the figure would rise as testing increased and investigators work to trace people who had been in contact with patients before they showed symptoms.

On Saturday, Dubai closed both lines of the Metro and the tram until further notice, according to a letter sent to station retailers.

Three stations in Deira closed last week when the area was placed on total lockdown for two weeks.

Despite stricter measures, there remain a significant number of professions deemed to be vital and exempt from travel restrictions.

These include:

- medical workers and pharmacy staff

- supermarket staff and delivery drivers

- food outlet workers

- industrial workers and supply chain staff

- water and electricity employees and petrol station staff

- telecoms workers and journalists

- airport and shipping personnel

- construction workers, if the company has a permit to continue work

- government, police and customs officers

A few critical service industries are also exempt, including banks and exchange houses, laundry staff and maintenance workers.

These workers are only allowed to commute to work between 8am and 2pm.

Abu Dhabi residents tested in drive-through swab centre