More than 24,000 coronavirus offences were recorded in two weeks, as UAE officials renew strict warnings against flouting health safety rules. Officials at the weekly briefing said no one was above the law and offenders would be penalised. The UAE recorded 24,894 offences between September 1 and September 15. The largest number of offences took place in Dubai, followed by Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah. “The UAE government is keen to safely normalise activities in various sectors by involving all members of the community in this responsibility,” said Dr Saif Al Dhaheri, official spokesman of the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority. All individuals and institutions must follow the guidelines, he said. Asians topped the list with 81 per cent of offences, followed by Arabs at 19 per cent, said Dr Al Dhaheri. The most common offence was failing to wear a mask, followed by exceeding the number of people permitted to travel in a vehicle. Dr Omar Al Hammadi, the official spokesman for the briefing, said 6,643 positive cases were detected after nearly half a million tests were carried out since September 23. This is equivalent to 1 per cent of those tested. The mortality rate has, however, increased from 0.1 per cent to 0.3 per cent. Men accounted for 62 per cent of all the positive cases registered since September 23, while 38 per cent were women. The majority of cases – 58 per cent – were diagnosed in the 25 to 44 age group. Dr Al Hammadi said contact tracing was a complex task. “A close contact is a person who has been in contact with a positive Covid-19 case for a minimum of 15 minutes with a proximity of less than two metres,” he said. Such close contacts are advised to isolate for two weeks even if they test negative and do not display any symptoms. Authorities said all sporting activities were now allowed in UAE with strict protocols and guidelines to be followed.
