COVID-19: How Dubai residents are keeping themselves safe during the pandemic

Precautions make for the best protections. In the case of a coronavirus pandemic, this means the steady use of an arsenal of face masks, gloves and face shields, and practicing social distancing. No trip to the local grocery mart is complete without a walk down the aisles to restock on masks, gloves and sanitiser.

A resident checks out facemasks at a dedicated section in shopping mall. Masks are no longer of the bland surgical variety; they have become a mode of self-expression. Today, people wear masks that are made to match with their outfits for functions and events.

UAE mask suppliers have capitalised on the need of the hour, providing many trendy alternatives even in hypermarkets.

Although COVID-19 numbers in the UAE are under control, residents continue to buy sanitisers to help them fight off an infection.

A resident shops for a sanitiser in a supermarket. The best way to kill the new coronavirus and prevent its spread during the pandemic is to wash hands frequently with soap and water, or to use a hand sanitiser that contains at least 60 per cent alcohol.

A mannequin dressed in protective gear is deployed in a shopping centre to attract customers. PPE kits are the order of the day in times of COVID-19.

Gloves give the wearer protection from a range of bacteria, viruses and fungi. Gloves have been deemed compulsory in shopping malls, supermarkets and other social settings in the UAE, and we see these items becoming indispensable for all as we become accustomed to the ‘new normal’.

Prices have evened out to affordable levels since the initial shortages.

Sanitisers: We’re using them more than ever before..Entire sections have been created for them in hypermarkets.

Not wearing mask is an offence under UAE law, with the penalty including a fine as hefty as Dh3,000.