UAE citizens and residents have been urged to avoid travelling abroad due to the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) across the Gulf and world.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has also said that those who travel may face preventative measures upon their return to the UAE – at the discretion of competent authorities – including undergoing medical checks at the airport, and a 14-day home quarantine.

According to MoHAP, on testing positive you will be transferred to a designated health facility for treatment and quarantine to ensure their safety and to avoid contact with others.

28^th case confirmed
A 16-year-old pupil of an Indian school in Dubai has become the 28th confirmed case of coronavirus in the Emirate. According to reports, the girl contracted the virus from a family member who had recently returned from a trip overseas, showing symptoms five days after landing back in the emirate. Dubai Health Authority said both the teenager and her family are currently in quarantine in hospital, where their condition is described as “stable”.

Checks in Place
The UAE government has been ensuring that all checks are in place to ensure that the disease does not spread. Apart from shutting down schools and colleges to carry out deep cleaning and sanitisation, the government has been distributing medical guides to all health facilities in the public and private sector, as well as land, air and seaports. Rapid laboratory testing and control procedures have been activated at border crossings, where more than 30,000 tests have been conducted since the virus appeared.

No travel restrictions from India to UAE
The Indian mission in Dubai, in a tweet, on Wednesday clarified that there were no travel restrictions have been imposed on people travelling from India to the UAE. The Consulate also denied any reports that India has imposed any coronavirus-related travel restrictions on people flying to the UAE. “There is no specific advisory against travel to the UAE due to coronavirus. However, many events have been postponed & schools have been shut for 4 weeks starting March 8. We would suggest you should keep an eye on advisories issued by both India & UAE,” the consulate’s official Twitter handle responded to a tweep’s query.

Closed-door football matches
According to local media reports, the UAE Football Association has said that all matches will be played behind closed doors until further notice, which means fans are banned from watching any matches. “The UAE FA prioritises the safety of all the players, technical staff, administrators and the loyal fans of football over any other matter. Therefore, it was decided that all the football competitions in the UAE will be played without the presence of spectators as follows: President’s Cup, First Division League, Second Division League, youth competitions, futsal competitions, beach soccer, women’s competitions, effective immediately and until further notice, in coordination with the concerned authorities,” the UAE Football Association said. “We highly request all the clubs, private academies and football entities to abide by this decision in order to ensure a safe society.”