A first responder wearing protective equipment in Dubai, UAE. (File photo: Reuters)

Coronavirus: Dubai closes 9 shops, fines 18 more for breaking COVID-19 opening rules

Matthew Amlôt, Al Arabiya English

Published: 29 April ,2020: 09:58 AM GST Updated: 20 May ,2020: 10:57 AM GST

Dubai Economy closed nine shops, fined 18, and issued warnings to 176 more on Wednesday for failing to comply with safety precautions put in place for reopening following a period of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, the department said in a Tweet.

The UAE emirate has eased its COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown restrictions over the last few days as the country marks the holy month of Ramadan. Dubai reopened malls, cafes, and restaurants on Friday, but restrictions remain in place governing how businesses can operate.

The announcement is the fourth day in a row of closures by Dubai Economy, with a total of 69 shops now closed.

On Wednesday, the shops closed included wedding services, car accessories, spare parts trading, mobile phones trading, and electronics repair.

“In addition, nine shopping malls in Deira and Bur Dubai were also inspected. While 150 outlets in the malls were found to be fully compliant, 102 were warned for not having precautionary measures, such as social distancing stickers, in place,” Dubai Economy said.

Dubai eases lockdown

The UAE emirate of Dubai announced that it would ease restrictions last week.

The 24-hour National Sterilisation Program has been shortened, with individuals across Dubai allowed to leave their homes between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. without a permit. The public will be required to strictly follow precautionary measures, which include maintaining social distancing from others while wearing a face mask. Those who do not wear a mask will be fined 1,000 dirhams.

Individuals are also allowed to go outside to exercise for one to two hours each time, with a maximum of three people in one group.

Visiting of relatives is allowed, but restricted to no more than five people per gathering, while high-risk individuals above the age of 60, and those with underlying medical conditions, should continue to be isolated.

Restaurants and shops in malls will open with a 30 percent capacity between 12 p.m. and 10 p.m. Malls will only operate with 25 percent of parking spaces available to limit the possibility of overcrowding.