DUBAI: The UAE has called for calm as it announced 45 new COVID-19 cases, among which included 17 people infected by a person who returned from abroad and did not quarantine himself.
It was the single biggest number of confirmed cases announced since January.
Altogether, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the UAE now stands at 198, of which 41 have recovered and two have died.
In a regular media briefing held yesterday March 23, Dr. Farida Al Hosani, official spokesperson of the UAE health sector, said among the new infections is a Filipino. This brought the number of Filipinos afflicted with the disease at six, of which two have recuperated so far.
Meantime, Dr. Al Hosani said that one of the declared cases is a person who returned from abroad but did not quarantine himself and waited for the test results. This caused the transmission of the virus to 17 people who came in contact with him, such as family members, relatives, and coworkers.
Al Hosani said: “The protection of our homeland, families, and people is the responsibility that our leadership has placed upon our shoulders. Our compliance with preventive health measures contributes directly to efforts aimed at overcoming this challenge. Today, there is no time for courtesy at the expense of the health of our families and community.”
Dr. Al Hosani said the other individuals who tested positive belonged to various nationalities, including one each from Iraq, Tunisia, Syria, Kuwait, Italy, Peru, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Somalia, the UK, Sudan, Egypt, Ireland, Russia, Montenegro, France, and Poland, in addition to two from Canada, three from Bangladesh, four each from Pakistan and the US, and seven from both the UAE and India.
All individuals in question were stable and are being treated, she said.
Meantime, three more people–two Nepalese and one Iranian—have fully recovered from the disease after receiving the necessary healthcare. The total number of recovered cases now stands at 41.
The briefing also detailed the various preventive measures taken so far, such as the closure of malls (except grocery stores and pharmacies), the suspension of flights, and restrictions on restaurants.
Al Hosani called upon the general public to maintain calm and patience and refrain from circulating rumors, pointing to the Attorney General’s recent statement regarding enforcement of the law for violators.
She also stressed the importance of adhering to the preventive measures issued by the relevant health authorities in the country.
The Daily Bread 