Coronavirus: Dubai residents cannot leave home without new permit

Pedestrians, drivers and people taking a taxi must apply for permission each time they go shopping, government says

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

Related: new permits required for all journeys - including walking to the shops

Dubai residents must obtain prior permission each time they leave their homes as part of efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management confirmed on Sunday that all journeys outside the home, including to pick up groceries, must be approved in advance.

People must register their planned trips online and outline the reason for their request, say where they will be going and estimate the amount of time they will be away from their address.

On Monday, officials confirmed that pedestrians and people taking a taxi must also apply, in addition to those with their own car.

Those found breaching the stay-home measures will face legal action. The strict measures are the latest part of the emirate's round-the-clock restrictions on travel, which were first increased on Saturday.

Only one member of a household can now leave home for essential shopping in supermarkets and pharmacies.

The only other journeys that are allowed are to hospital or a doctor’s appointment.

People must also wear a mask and gloves at all times once outside, not only when arriving at a shop.

An application must be filled out at https://dxbpermit.gov.ae/home before every journey.

Users will be asked to enter their mobile phone number and will then be sent a verification code to allow them to move to the application page.

They must then give their Emirates ID, their vehicle's license plate number and their address.

It must also include the time the person will leave and return home, and their destination.

Essential workers, which includes medical workers and supermarket staff, among others, will not need to apply to go to work each day.

But they must at all times carry their Emirates ID and a letter from their employer stating who they are.

"The committee stressed that only individuals registering on the website will be able to obtain permission to leave home," the disaster management committee said.

"Those violating the restrictions will face stringent legal action.

"The compliance of all people is vital to the success of measures to combat the virus and ensure the highest levels of protection in the community."

In other developments, any driver who has been flashed by a speed camera in recent days would not have to pay a fine, the Dubai Media Office said.

But any use of a vehicle without a permit as of Sunday would be met with consequences.

On Saturday, the UAE recorded 241 new coronavirus 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, bringing that total to 125.

Officials said the figure would rise as testing increased and investigators traced 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.