UAE arrests 64 people for violating home-quarantine orders

On Thursday, the UAE’s Ministry of Interior confirmed that it has referred 64 people to the country’s Public Prosecution for violating Federal Law No. 14 of 2014 with regards to the prevention of communicable diseases, reported official news agency WAM.

The individuals did not adhere to the 14-day home-quarantine that they were instructed to observe and thereby exposed others to the disease, causing the spread of Covid-19.

The UAE Ministry of Justice has confirmed that Covid-19 has now been included under its communicable disease, implying that those who violate the precautionary measures outlined by authorities to prevent the spread of the disease are subject to imprisonment and/or fines.

Read: UAE includes Covid-19 under communicable diseases law; violators to be fined, jailed

For those who are infected by the disease and travel to any place other than a health facility without the approval of the ministry or health agency, they will be liable for imprisonment and/or a fine of between Dhs10,000-Dhs50,000.

Earlier this week, it was reported that one of the newly-detected Covid-19 cases included a man who arrived into the country and did not comply with quarantine instructions while awaiting his test results, thus transmitting the infection to 17 other people including his family members, relatives and colleagues.

The UAE said that it would suspend all inbound and outbound passenger flights and the transit of airline passengers for two weeks beginning from March 26, as part of its precautionary measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Read: UAE suspends all inbound and outbound passenger flights for two weeks

The country also asked its residents to stay at home unless it’s absolutely necessary to get essential supplies, such as food and medicine, or to perform “essential jobs” in order to reduce the risk of transmission of the disease.

Read: UAE urges all residents to stay home as it closes malls, makes restaurants delivery-only