Doctors across the UAE have asked residents to continue wearing face masks and following other safety precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Their remarks came a day after health officials declared that they would severely enforce their mask regulations with a fine for those who violate the protocol and that they would tighten their rules on the Al Hosn green pass system due to an increase in coronavirus cases across the country.
The UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) had also said in a televised media briefing on Monday that there had been cases of people infected with COVID-19 who had violated the mandatory 10-day at-home isolation period; a serious violation that they warned would be considered and treated as a serious offence.
Health authorities around the country stressed the importance of everyone following the regulations in order to avoid the spread of new infections.
Dr Niyas Khalid, a doctor in internal medicine at Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi, told Al Arabiya English that it is critical to take precautionary steps in light of the global rise in COVID-19 cases.
Dr Pawan Kumar Shrivastava, a consultant in Internal Medicine at Dubai’s NMC Specialty Hospital, also urged residents to follow UAE rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
He said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our life as we know it.”
“Many had lost their family members and friends in the last wave. Once again, COVID-19 cases are increasing and we need to control the spread of disease earliest by following certain measures.”
Dr Shrivastava said multiple studies have shown that face coverings can contain droplets expelled from the wearer which are responsible for the majority of transition of the virus.
“It is estimated that 40 per cent of persons with COVID 19 are asymptomatic but potentially able to transmit the virus,” he said. “Also remember to regularly hand wash, socially distance, avoid going to crowded places, stay at home and self-isolate with minor symptoms – mild fever, cough, or body ache – and get your COVID-19 PCR done at the earliest.”
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