DUBAI, UAE – Dubai’s tourism department announced on Thursday an immediate halt to all live entertainment at hotels and restaurants, a day after the suspension of non-emergency surgery in hospitals to deal with an influx of patients with COVID-19.
Both decisions come after a few months in which Dubai is promoted as the ideal holiday for the pandemic on the spot while coronavirus infections increased. Now the sheikh is showing signs of tension.
Even though the cases have reached unprecedented heights in the United Arab Emirates, the city-state of Dubai has sought to be a glittering desert oasis for tourists fleeing harsh roadblocks back home. Since reopening in the spring, the commercial hub has withstood several restrictions that would beat its economy, based largely on aviation, hospitality and retail.
Beyond the ubiquitous outdoor masks, a sense of pre-pandemic normalcy prevailed in the city. Bands, dancers and DJs performed in bars and clubs for socially distant crowds. Hotel occupancy rates rose by more than 70% in December, close to holiday levels in 2019. The city’s airport welcomed more than 70,000 passengers on New Year’s Eve alone.
Soon, countries such as the United Kingdom and Israel, which had sent herds to Dubai during the winter holidays, closed their travel corridors, raising alarm over the growing number of infections in the UAE. Even on Tuesday, the office of the government’s chief press officer strongly insisted that things were under control. In a statement, the emirate said it “continues to maintain the highest levels of protection against the pandemic and compliance with preventive measures.”
But on Thursday, the Dubai Department of Tourism announced that it had “noticed, through a field inspection, an increase in the number of violations during entertainment activities.”
Although bars and restaurants will remain open for the time being, the Dubai press office has said it will stop issuing new entertainment permits to effective locations immediately to ensure “public health and safety”. The bureau said it had issued more than 200 violations for “non-compliance” with the COVID-19 guidelines and closed 20 units in the past few weeks.
In a circular sent to business partners, the Dubai tourism department said the ban only applies to live bands from restaurants, bars and beach clubs and that private events and wedding parties, currently limited to 200 people, could continue normally. The statement said that non-compliance with health measures will result in “serious actions” without elaboration. He did not give any time for the resumption of entertainment activities.
The pandemic shows no signs of diminishing. The United Arab Emirates broke its infection record on Thursday for the 10th consecutive day, with 3,529 cases reported. The country does not release data on the location of infections, which makes it difficult to determine where in the federation of the seven sheikhs was most affected by the virus.
With its well-equipped health centers and 90% of its population made up of relatively young and healthy expatriates, the UAE has so far avoided the chaotic scenes of overwhelmed hospitals seen elsewhere. The country recorded over 267,000 infections and 766 deaths.
The United Arab Emirates has launched the second fastest coronavirus vaccination campaign in the world, targeting only Israel. The country, which offers the state-backed Chinese company Sinopharm’s vaccine to anyone over the age of 16, says it is trying to vaccinate more than half of the 9 million population by the end of March.
On Thursday, the UAE also approved Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine for emergency use, citing “the results of its effectiveness” without elaborating. Other countries have been reluctant to approve Chinese and Russian vaccines, saying their efficacy announcements lack reliable data and other critical details.
Dubai also offers the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has been approved by Western regulators with an efficacy rate of about 95%. But, given the supply constraints, it is only available to residents over the age of 60 and those with chronic health conditions.
Dozens of residents hoping to get the Pfizer-BioNtech jab went down to the World Trade Center in Dubai on Thursday, after a state-run newspaper published a report saying the center had accepted accessories regardless of age and other priority criteria. Some seemed ready to wait for hours, even as the health authorities in traditional clothing tried to persuade them to leave.
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Dubai Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell contributed to this report.