Dubai ‘on track’ to curb virus spread, says many hospitals do not have any Covid-19 cases

Dubai has achieved ‘marked progress’ in curbing the spread of the coronavirus, the emirate’s Covid-19 Command and Control Centre has said.

The centre, tasked with managing the emirate’s response to the pandemic, said the emirate has seen a rise in the recovery rates while the number of identified cases has declined.

The number of people with Covid-19 symptoms visiting hospitals has also dropped in the last few weeks.

A number of hospitals in Dubai do not have any Covid-19 cases, official news agency WAM quoted Dr. Amer Ahmad Sharif, head of the Command and Control Centre, as saying.

Most government and private hospitals in the emirate have resumed their diagnostics and treatment services and their capacity is not under pressure due to Covid-19 cases, he said.

An analysis of indicators in the last three months “shows a significant decline in cases. The rate of infections in the last three weeks has fallen considerably while the rate of recoveries has increased. The number of cases requiring hospitalisation also saw a decline,” he said.

These factors indicate that “Dubai is moving steadily towards overcoming the pandemic”, Dr. Sharif added.

He attributed the progress to the government’s “strong strategic plan” to combat the outbreak and the cooperation of all stakeholders in implementing the plan.

All taskforces worked closely within a carefully designed framework supervised by the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai. Daily meetings were held to monitor progress and respond quickly to developments, he stated.

Awareness and commitment to health guidelines and precautionary measures by the public also contributed significantly to the progress, Dr. Sharif said.

Easing of movement restrictions in the emirate and the reopening of economic activities were “smoothly implemented” due to the cooperation from the public.

“Their commitment remains crucial to avoiding any future setbacks that could undermine the efforts of the last few months as well as regaining the emirate’s economic momentum and enabling all sectors to resume normal activities.”

Dr.Sharif urged people to continue following measures such as physical distancing and use of sanitisers.

The “sustained implementation of precautionary measures and the public’s continued commitment to observing preventive guidelines in the period ahead are critical to fully contain the Covid-19 crisis”, he stated.

The UAE reported 346 Covid-19 cases on Tuesday following an additional 38,000 tests. The Ministry of Health and Prevention also confirmed two additional deaths, taking the death toll to 293.

The total infection count has now reached 42,982 while the tally of recoveries stands at 28,861.