Dubai creates epidemic disease centre to tackle coronavirus

Establishment of ‘control centre’ for epidemic diseases is expected to centralise public health decision-making while tackling current pandemic.

DUBAI - Dubai has announced the creation of a new centre for diseases and epidemics, designed to combat pandemics including the coronavirus outbreak, according to state news agency WAM.

The ‘Disease and Epidemic Control Centre’ will be staffed by personnel from the ministry of health and prevention (MoHAP) and other relevant authorities.

Its establishment comes after a resolution issued by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council.

Maktoum said that the centre would help create a rapid intervention plan in coordination with both the public and private sectors to tackle the ongoing pandemic.

It will also be responsible for increasing the capacity of the Emirate’s health sector capacity, which could be tested in the upcoming weeks, while centralising decision-making regarding public health and epidemic control such as in the case of COVID-19.

The new centre will be managed by a board chaired by Dr. Amir Ahmed Al Sharif, while its members include the executive directors of the Dubai Healthcare Foundation at Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Dubai Data Establishment, Health Regulatory Sector at DHA and Health Regulatory Sector at Dubai Healthcare City Authority.

Dubai's Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management announced on Tuesday an increase in restrictions on movement in the Al-Ras area of Dubai for two weeks from March 31 to facilitate enhanced sterilisation procedures.

Dubai Health Authority teams will provide all essential supplies to the residents of the area during the two-week period, Dubai Police announced.

The Dubai economy is set to take a further hit from the coronavirus pandemic after Expo 2020 organisers announced their bid to postpone the event to which many economic hopes and plans were pinned.

The total number of infections in the UAE has reached 611, with 41 new cases announced on Monday, of which only two are in critical condition.

There have been only five fatalities in the UAE so far from the virus which emerged in the Wuhan province of China in December of last year.