The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first confirmed case in the United Arab Emirates was announced on 29 January 2020. It was the first country in the Middle East to report a confirmed case.
The first patient, a 73-year-old Chinese woman, was released on 9 February after recovering. The first two deaths were confirmed on 20 March. On 22 March, Dubai started an 11-day sterilisation campaign as an effort to contain COVID-19. Night curfew was imposed four days later while the country began disinfection. School closure was first announced on 8 March for four weeks. Three weeks later, it was announced that schools will be closed until the end of the academic year.
Background
On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.
The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.
Timeline
January 2020
On 29 January, the first case in UAE was confirmed to be a 73-year-old Chinese woman who came to the country on holiday with her family from Wuhan. The family of four, 36-year-old mother, 38-year-old father, 10-year-old child, and the 73-year-old grandmother arrived in the Emirates on 16 January and took the grandmother to a doctor with flu-like symptoms on 23 January, where it was discovered that the family was infected. The announcement led to a sell out of face masks across the UAE.
On 31 January, the fifth case of coronavirus in the UAE was confirmed, in someone who had travelled from Wuhan to Dubai.
February 2020
On 8 February, the sixth and seventh cases, of Chinese and a 43-year-old Filipino, were confirmed.
On 9 February, the first patient, a 73-year-old Chinese woman, was released after recovering.
On 10 February, the eighth case was confirmed to be an Indian expatriate who had interacted with a recently diagnosed person.
On 14 February, two more patients recovered and were discharged from the hospital. The two patients were a 41-year-old Chinese father and his eight-year-old boy.
On 16 February, the ninth case was confirmed to be a 37-year old Chinese man.
On 21 February, the tenth and eleventh case was confirmed to be a 34-year-old Filipino national and a 39-year-old Bangladeshi national who had contact with a Chinese national who had been diagnosed with the virus.
On 22 February, the government announced that two more people, a 70-year old Iranian visitor, and his 64-year-old wife, have been diagnosed, taking the total to thirteen.
On 27 February, six more new cases were announced, including four Iranians, one Bahraini, and one Chinese national. On the same day, it was announced that case 2, of the 36-year-old Chinese woman, and another 37-year-old Chinese person were discharged after recovering.
On 28 February, two Italian technicians visiting the country to participate in the UAE Tour, a top level cycling race, were tested positive. 612 people involved in the UAE Tour were quarantined in the homes and the W Abu Dhabi hotel and the Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi hotel, both in Yas Island, and the two hotels were put on lockdown. The 612 people were all screened and the results were negative.
March 2020
On 1 March, six more people tested positive for the coronavirus in the UAE, the Ministry of Health and Prevention said, bringing the total number of infected persons to 27. The patients include two Russians, two Italians, a German and a Colombian citizen, who had been in contact with two Italian participants of the UAE Tour who tested positive for coronavirus at the weekend.
On 3 March, a 16-year-old female Indian student in Dubai tested positive for the coronavirus after contracting it from her parent who came back after traveling abroad. The parent developed symptoms five days after returning to Dubai. Both the student and her family were quarantined.
On 5 March, the Ministry of Health and Prevention confirmed that a 17-year-old male Emirati student has tested positive for coronavirus and showed no symptoms of it. The student is now stable and is receiving necessary healthcare.
On 6 March, two Chinese patients recovered, bringing the total number of recovered cases in the UAE to seven. The two recoveries, a 38-year-old father and his 10-year-old child, were from the first family to contract the virus, and all members of the Chinese family are now virus-free. On the same day, it was announced that 15 cases of different nationalities have tested positive for the virus, taking to 45 the total infections in the country. 13 cases consisted of one individual each from Thailand, China, Morocco and India, two individuals each from Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Iran and three individuals from the UAE were detected through early reporting by individuals. All these cases arrived from abroad. Two cases, each from the UAE and Egypt, have been diagnosed with the virus by an active surveillance system for being in close contact with confirmed cases announced previously in connection with the UAE Tour.
On 9 March, the UAE recorded 14 new cases, the Ministry of Health and Prevention said, bringing the total number of reported cases to 59. In a statement, the health ministry said the cases involve four Emiratis, three Italians, two Bangladeshis, two Nepalese, a Russian, an Indian and a Syrian national. On the same day, it was announced that two Emiratis, two Ethiopians and a Thai national recovered from the virus, bringing to 12 the total recovered cases in the country.
On 10 March, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Tuesday confirmed 15 new cases, bringing the total number of infected people in the country to 74. The 15 cases involve three Italians, two Emiratis, two from the UK, two from Sri Lanka, two Indians, a German, a South African, a Tanzanian, and an Iranian. On the same day, it was announced that five cases recovered, consisting for three Emiratis, one Egyptian and one Moroccan.
On 11 March, 11 new cases were announced, bring the total number of cases in the UAE to 85. The individuals were placed under quarantine as suspected cases subsequent to their entry into the UAE and following required testing and monitoring, the individuals were confirmed to be positive. The 11 individuals diagnosed include two Italians, two Filipinos, one Montenegrin, one Canadian, one German, one Pakistani, one Emirati, one Russian, and one British citizen. On the same day, it was announced that a Bangladeshi, a Chinese, and an Italian person recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recovered cases in the country to 20.
On 15 March, 12 new cases were confirmed, bringing the total number of cases to 98. The patients are three Indians, and one each from the UAE, the Philippines, South Africa, Australia, China, Lebanon, the UK, Italy, and Iran.
On the same day, 3 people have recovered from the virus bringing the total number to 26, the people are two Emiratis and an Indian.
On 18 March, 15 new cases were announced, with the total number of infected people to 113. Patients are from Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Italy, Netherlands, Australia, Germany, USA, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Britain, and Spain.
On 19 March, UAE confirmed 27 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Thursday along with 30 recoveries in total.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in UAE stands at 140, with five new cases including three Emiratis, one Syrian and one Sri Lankan.
On 20 March, the first two deaths were confirmed.
On 21 March, there were deaths of two patients with underlying health conditions.
On 22 March, there were seven recoveries, and 13 new cases.
On 23 March, UAE announces 45 new coronavirus cases. Total cases reported in the country are now 198. The government urged people to stay in their homes and only leave home for an emergency or for work, said Ministry of Interior.
On 24 March, four new recovery cases and 50 new cases were confirmed. These new cases were among individuals who had close contact with cases announced previously, as well as people who returned from abroad.
On 25 March, UAE announced 85 new cases, for a total of 333 infections in the country, with seven recoveries reported by the official spokesperson of the UAE health service. Seven people recovered, for a total of 52 recoveries. On the same day, 64 people were arrested for breaking home quarantine after they came in direct contact with people infected with the virus.
On 27 March, 72 new cases and three recoveries were confirmed.
On 28 March, the government announced 63 new cases of COVID-19, raising the total of confirmed cases to 468.
On 29 March, the Ministry of Health and Prevention announced 102 new cases, taking the total cases in the country to 570. The 102 new cases patients consisted of one person from New Zealand, Slovakia, Morocco, Greece, China, France, Germany, Algeria, Iraq, Colombia, Venezuela, and Poland. Two people from Brazil, Sweden, Australia, Ethiopia, Canada, Lebanon, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Portugal. Three people from Italy and Ireland. Six people from Egypt. Seven people from the UAE and the Philippines. 16 people from Britain. 30 people from India. On the same day, the three new recoveries were announced takes the total tally of recoveries to 58, and another person died from the virus, taking the toll to three in UAE, until 29 March.
On 30 March, there were 41 new cases, for a total of 611. Two more deaths were announced, for a total of five, and there were three recoveries.
On 31 March, 53 new confirmed cases were announced, for a total of 664, and one death for a total of six.
Government responses
Aid and repatriation
On 4 March, by the request of their countries' respective governments, 215 people stranded in Wuhan – from countries that include Syria, Iraq, Mauritania, Sudan, Brazil, Egypt, Yemen and Jordan – were flown to Abu Dhabi in a plane equipped with medical facilities.
On 6 April, Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, owner of the ExCeL London conference centre, turned the conference centre into a coronavirus hospital for up to 4,000 patients in the UK. Two planes were chartered by Emirati government authorities to bring 80 Emirati nationals home from the UK.
On 12 April, the UAE announced its intent to arrange repatriation flights for Indians and other citizens stranded in the Emirates and wishing to go back to their countries.
Curfew
On 26 March, the UAE imposed a night curfew to begin disinfection. On 28 March, the curfews and disinfection were extended to 5 April.
On 31 March, Al Ras area, one of Dubai's densely populated areas that's home to the gold souk and museums, was placed under lock down for two weeks preventing all residents from leaving or entering the area.
On 4 April, a 24-hour curfew was imposed on Dubai, with stricter restrictions on movement, which was reduced to 10-hours from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am starting 24 April.
On 17 May 2021, Dubai's Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management changed has increased the capacity of entertainment facilities and venues to 70% and the hotels capacity to 100%.
Economy
On 23 March, the government shut malls for two weeks. Fish, meat and vegetable markets also closed for a renewable period of two weeks.
On 23 April, both Abu Dhabi and Dubai governments announced that some restrictions were being reduced in respect to mall closures with their respective economic departments stating that they were consulting with stakeholders in opening malls in line with government plans for a gradual increase in economic activity in the country. The types of shops allowed to reopen were very limited with regulations to not exceed 30% capacity at any time.
Following the economic downfall of the coronavirus pandemic, the UAE government in July 2020 announced a broad restructuring and merger of more than 50% of its federal agencies, including ministries and departments.
On 4 September 2020, the government announced the sale of $2 billion worth of Islamic and conventional bonds as its first international debt markets sale in the past six years. The government entered the public debt market in order to bolster the emirate's financial market impacted the economic crisis led by the COVID-19 pandemic. The debt sale included a $1 billion tranche for 10-year Sukuk, or 2.763% of Islamic bonds and a $1 billion tranche from a 30-year conventional bond at 4%.