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UAE Blanket Lock Down as Government Bans All Travel for Citizens and Cancels Visas in Coronavirus Covid-19 Fight Back to Save Lives UPDATED
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UAE Blanket Lock Down as Government Bans All Travel for Citizens and Cancels Visas in Coronavirus Covid-19 Fight Back to Save Lives UPDATED

by Jon WestleyMarch 18, 2020

Background: UAE Blanket Lock Down as Government Bans All Travel in Coronavirus Covid-19 Fight Back to Save Lives

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has announced a ban on all of its citizens leaving the country until further notice and a total ban on valid visa entry holders entering the country. Anyone legitimately seeking to enter the UAE, including residents and citizens, will also now face a 14-day mandatory quarantine. Visas on arrival have now been abolished to limit those seeking to enter the UAE.

The ban on entry does not currently apply to UAE citizens or UAE residents but given the escalation of protection residents and citizens are advised to be prepared for a total ban.

Information on what residents and nationals that are now locked out of the country should do can be found in our bulletin information at the end of the article below.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces said:

“We all have seen the difference between the nations which have adopted early precautionary measures and those which haven’t. The former are more successful in containing the spread of the virus and addressing its repercussions, even though they’ve started only a few days or weeks earlier than the latter.”

“We are racing against time in confronting the besetting challenges. In the UAE, we have adopted rational and early advanced precautionary measures before other countries around us to stand up to the challenge. And therefore, the infection tally in the UAE is less thanks to our early response to contain the virus at its onset.”

“The world is going through tough times. We, in the UAE, are lucky, as our conditions are relatively better thanks to many factors, primarily the availability of qualified human cadres capable of efficiently shouldering the responsibility toward confronting the proliferation of the COVID-19. The UAE is faring well, all thanks to the early efforts and measures in place to face this virus.”

GEMS_INARTICLE  

 

We are all in this together and Food and Medicine will NOT run out.

New Move by UAE Government to Close Schools Permanently to Fight Coronaviris Covid-19. Dubai and Abu Dhabi and Sharjah Confirm move. Parents respond positively.

The move reflects the already powerful interventions by the KHDA and ADEK to close schools. The UAE has acted much faster than many other countries. Other major industrialised nations, including the United Kingdom, closed schools much later.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces continued:

“The UAE has benefited from the experience of other advanced countries, like Singapore, South Korea and China in confronting the virus. And we are still maintaining transparent channels of coordination with them. Until now we are among the most successful nations in the region in addressing this challenge, both in terms of the number of individuals who have been examined and the potential and resources boasted by the country in this regard.”

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces

The overall message is positive:

“We will get through the ongoing tough times and survive the myriad challenges we and the entire world are now experiencing.

We are well prepared to face any challenge that arises.

We started our preparation ahead of Coronavirus, and thank God, the UAE is now secure and stable.

We have an advanced infrastructure and we’re geared for all challenges whatsoever they are.”

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces

 

Families are assured that they do not need to panic and that medical supplies and food will not run out:

“We will provide all required food and medical supplies continuously and infinitely.

There are a lot of things the State is doing which we can’t reveal.

However, our officials in charge know pretty well that medications and food supplies are a red line in the UAE. I’d like to reassure every citizen and resident of the UAE that our country is infinitely able to supply everyone with all the food and medicine they could ever need.”

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces

This follows the decision yesterday by  the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, MoFAIC, to urge all Emiratis abroad to return to their homeland, as part of the precautionary measures taken by the UAE to ensure the safety of its citizens.

The Ministry has called for all Emirati students and nationals receiving medical treatment overseas to communicate with UAE embassies in respective host countries to co-ordinate their return home.

An emergency number has been set up to help: 80044444.

 

Backgrounder – Key facts Today at a Glance and What to Do if you Believe that You or Your Children are Infected

Help for Parents with Coronavirus Covid 19 with FAQ and status update

As of 3 March 2020, the World Health Organisation calculated that the Coronavirus Covid-19 virus has an average 3.4% fatality rate making it 30 times more deadly than the flu virus. The flu virus kills between 290,000 and 650,000 people a year globally. The earliest estimation for global availability of a vaccine is projected to be September 2021.

As of 20:00, 17 March 2020, 180,159 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in 87 countries and territories, including 7,103 deaths. The deaths have been reported from China (3,226), Italy (2, 158), Iran (853), Spain (309), France (148), United States (85), South Korea (81), United Kingdom (55), Japan (28), Netherlands (24), Switzerland (14), Germany (13), Philippines (12), Iraq (9), San Marino (9), International conveyance in Japan (7), Sweden (7), Australia (5), Belgium (5), Indonesia (5), Algeria (4), Canada (4), Greece (4), Poland (4), Austria (3), India (3), Lebanon (3), Norway (3), Argentina (2), Bulgaria (2), Ecuador (2), Egypt (2), Ireland (2), Albania (1), Bahrain (1), Denmark (1), Guatemala (1), Guyana (1), Hungary (1), Luxembourg (1), Morocco (1), Panama (1), Sudan (1), Taiwan (1) and Thailand (1).

Infection rates vary in countries between 1% and 6% depending on multiple factors including the age of the population.

The UAE government has so far been successful in containing the virus to just 113 cases as of 18 March 2020.

As of 17 March 2020, there are only two confirmed cases of Coronavirus Covid-19 in UAE schools. A total of 98 cases have been officially confirmed to the World Health Organisation in the United Arab Emirates.

The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reports that:

“There have been very few reports of the clinical outcomes for children with COVID-19 to date. Limited reports from China suggest that children with confirmed COVID-19 may present with mild symptoms and though severe complications (acute respiratory distress syndrome, septic shock) have been reported, they appear to be uncommon. However, as with other respiratory illnesses, certain populations of children may be at increased risk of severe infection, such as children with underlying health conditions.

Limited reports of children with COVID-19 in China have described cold-like symptoms, such as fever, runny nose, and cough. Gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting and diarrhoea) have been reported in at least one child with COVID-19.”

Positively, the World Heath Organisation states:

“We are [only] eight weeks into this Coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak: yet we have identified the virus, we have the genetic sequence, PCR & serological assay in use. This wealth of knowledge is unprecedented for a new disease.”

Currently there is no cure.

  • More on the UAE Government decision to close every school in the UAE to protect children can be found here.
  • More on the UAE government decision to close all nursery schools can be found here.
  • More on the UAE Government decision to ban school events can be found here.
  • More on the first confirmed case of Coronavirus Covid 19 in a UAE school at the Indian High School, Senior Campus can be found here.

The single major action parents and students can take to protect themselves is to wash their hands. Medical specialist face masks are not advised for adults and are illegal for use by children because they restrict airflow and could result in respiratory failure if used over a long period. Paracetamol should be used in the case of suspected infection. Ibuprofen should not be used.

Current advice is for families not to travel by air unless it is absolutely unavoidable or an emergency.

A dedicated hotline has been set up to advise worried schools and parents on 06-7017000 and email at [email protected] for issues that arise during the closure of schools and universities and the Coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak.

Over 620 school buildings have been completely sterilised to date, in addition to 6,000 school buses.

More than 168,000 students have been enrolled in a pilot Distance Learning programme in Abu Dhabi

To report suspected cases of Coronavirus Covid-19, parents are asked to call:

  • The Dubai Health Authority: 800 342
  • The Ministry of Health and Prevention: 800 11111.
  • The Department of Health Estijaba service: 800 1717

For parents in Abu Dhabi facing a crisis in looking after their children during the closure of nursery schools an emergency hotline is available on: +971 58 5886570 or the toll-free number 80051115.

For parents in Dubai, the KHDA is providing comprehensive support for parents here.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has requested those holding valid UAE visas, and now locked out of the UAE, must do the following:

“Those who are now staying in their countries of origin have to contact the UAE diplomatic missions in their respective nations for all necessary support and to streamline their return back to the UAE.”

“Those who are currently outside the UAE for business considerations have to contact their employers here as well as Emirati diplomatic missions in their host countries for all necessary support to facilitate their return back to the UAE.”

“Those who are now on vacation have to contact UAE diplomatic missions in their respective host countries for all necessary support to facilitate their return back to the UAE.”

“The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) has urged the families and kins of those affected by the decision to get in touch with the ICA via the following contact numbers to get updated on all the measures they have to pursue: Fax: 025543883, Mobile: 0501066099, Landline 02 3128867- 02 3128865, Email: [email protected]

More on the real story of Coronavirus Covid 19 direct from Schools can be found on SchoolsCompared.com.

This is a rapidly developing story. Decisions are subject to change. We will publish more information for parents live as we receive it.


If you have a ground-breaking story in UAE education, please mail the SchoolsCompared.com News Desk 24/7 at [email protected] 


© SchoolsCompared.com 2020. All rights reserved.

About The Author
Jon Westley
Jon Westley is the Editor of SchoolsCompared.com and WhichSchoolAdvisor.com UK. You can email him at jonathanwestley [at] schoolscompared.com

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