Why I want to be in Dubai more than any other place — COVID-19 or no COVID-19

Sharmila Dhal, UAE Editor

As someone engaged in the dissemination of news, I can safely say that the beastly coronavirus has hogged the headlines like nothing ever has in my entire career. Over the past year, much has also been written about how the UAE has led the global combat against COVID-19 with several breakthroughs.

But there is more to being in Dubai.

As I go about my daily life, I cannot even begin to list the things I take for granted. Forget the evergreen privileges of safety and security, unmatched roads or uninterrupted power and WiFi; what tops my list right now is the fact that even at the height of the pandemic last year, I didn’t have to queue up at a supermarket to buy anything I wanted or wait beyond a few minutes to get attended to during a medical emergency.

Fast forward to January 2021, and I have never felt more reassured than now as the COVID-19 vaccination drive gets underway and I have a choice of vaccines to pick from.

So what is it that makes all of this possible? The answer is obvious.

The feeling of reassurance stems from an unshakeable confidence in the system and an implicit faith in the authorities that they will do the best that needs to be done. The well thought-out macro decisions and painstaking efforts at the micro level ensure little or no disruption to my life. And while I may take that for granted, I could not be more thankful.

I count my residency in Dubai as my biggest blessing — pandemic or no pandemic. I know the authorities have done whatever it takes — and more — to win the global war against COVID-19. At the same time, I realise I share the responsibility. It is for me to do my bit to keep myself and the community around me safe.

Shyam A. Krishna, Senior Associate Editor

Dubai’s back on its feet. The celebrations to usher in the New Year have signalled the city’s return to the global spotlight from the shadow of coronavirus. Malls, restaurants, hotels, cinemas and parks are open, and the tourists are thronging the hot spots. A clear proof that the city is winning the battle against the coronavirus.

How did that happen? Awareness of COVID-19 safety protocols ensures that citizens and residents take their health seriously. And there’s the zero tolerance towards any breach of guidelines. Regular and widespread inspections ensure compliance and any violation attracts huge fines. That makes for a safe and secure ambience for people. So, it wasn’t surprising when Dubai was awarded the Safe Travels stamp by the World Travel and Tourism Council, reinforcing its status as one of the world’s safest destinations. Little wonder Dubai is bustling with tourists.

The first case of coronavirus in the UAE was reported on January 29, 2020, and by then, several measures were in place to contain the contagion. Perhaps, the most crucial was the awareness campaigns on safety measures, which helped slow the spread of the virus. Face masks became ubiquitous; residents understood the need to sanitise their hands and keep a distance from others.

As the cases grew, field hospitals sprung up, medical expertise was imported, schools and colleges were closed, public facilities were shuttered, offices moved into a work-from-home mode, and public transport services were suspended. A lockdown was avoided, but travel restrictions helped launch the disinfection drive in March.

An all-night sterilisation campaign launched on March 26 continued for several weeks. Hotspots like Naif and Al Ras in Deira were sealed off for complete disinfection, which helped these communities and the city. It allowed the economy reopen.

When business resumed, the landscape had changed. Everyone knew it. A life wrapped in safety protocols came with restrictions. Dubai residents were fine with it. At least they had a life. They knew its fragility. The adherence to safety measures and the dwindling number of infections gave Dubai the courage to move to Phase 2.

Restaurants, shopping malls and movie halls reopened, but with restrictions. Employees started to trickle back into office. Traffic returned to the roads. The city started throbbing again.

It was just a matter of time before Dubai powered away. And it happened in a matter of months. Field hospitals were no longer required, and travel picked up. People arrived in droves. Some businessmen came to work out of Dubai. Even a new strain of the virus in the United Kingdom failed to stem the tide of tourists.

Life has returned to normal. Almost normal. Masks are everywhere. People understand their necessity. It’s mandatory too. Hefty fines ensure that the masks stay on people’s faces.

The arrival of vaccines has given a further fillip. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine powers Dubai Health Authority’s inoculation drive, while the federal ministry of health dispenses Sinopharm vaccine throughout the country. It helped the UAE lead the vaccination race as 20 per cent of the population has already been inoculated against COVID-19.

The rest of the world may be locking down. But life in Dubai has returned close to normality. The city is winning the battle against the virus.

Anjana Kumar, Senior Reporter

Indian couple Anirudh Chauhan and Kriti Datta celebrated their first wedding anniversary in Dubai on January 17. Chauhan, 28, told Gulf News ahead of his flight back to New Delhi that the seven-day stay was their best holiday ever.

“It was an easy decision as to where we would head off for our first anniversary. Dubai is close to home, and the city has attracted many Indian visitors. Besides, we wanted to be part of the Dubai Shopping Festival.”

Anirudh said the strict efforts taken by the UAE government to maintain social distancing had done much to build confidence in Indian tourists.

“We had an amazing time,” said Anirudh, who works as a human resource manager for a firm in India. His wife Kriti Datta, 27, too agreed.

“We felt safe holidaying here with respect to the pandemic situation. There were social distancing measures followed everywhere we went; it was incredible to see the government’s efforts. What is more, people adhered to the rules and that is commendable,” Chauhan added.

Israeli tourist Javier Plecel, 55, said he always wanted to visit Dubai and the UAE. Plecel is in Dubai with his family said he has enjoyed every bit of his stay in the UAE. “I did the desert safari, some shopping and more. I am completely reassured of the safety measures undertaken by the UAE government.”

He said there is a great interest among Israelis to visit the UAE. “There is a large group of people who want to come here. It is a country we have not been before, and the multi-cultural aspect is very attractive.”

Bulgarian visitor Antonia Yosifova from Sofia has visited Dubai eight times in two years. That is how much she loves Dubai. “I am returning in March,” she told Gulf News.

“My heart is taken. I love Dubai, the Arab world, the food, the mix of traditional Arabic culture and the urban landscape is so attractive. I think the UAE is one of the safest places in the world.”

“Dubai has been my wife’s favourite city since we got married and she always wanted to visit the place. Our daughters got married last year, so I wanted to give a surprise to my wife, and this was it,” said Kishore Kumar, 56, who is in Dubai with his wife Kalpana, 55.

“After landing in Dubai, we took our COVID tests. We have visited many countries, but Dubai is very tourist-friendly. Since we got the test results in less than 24 hours, it was very easy for us to start our tour of the city.”

Kishore and Kalpana took a cruise ride too. “The next day, we went on a desert safari, and we were blown away by the sand dunes.”

The couple also managed some shopping. “The malls, the restaurants, the food. Dubai has everything a tourist desires. People in Dubai are friendlier than we expected. They were all so courteous.”

Suchitra Bajpai Chaudhary, Chief Reporter

The health community hailed the UAE’s proactive role in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Adel Al Yassin Al Sissi, Chief Medical Officer at Prime Health Care who has spearheaded the COVID taskforce at the hospital and managed all critical care and emergency cases, said the UAE government has set precedents in health care when tackling the pandemic.

“The UAE has been leading in many indexes worldwide. We have the lowest fatality rate due to COVID-19 of 0.3 per cent and a near 90 per cent recovery rate, which has been a benchmark for the management of COVID-19 worldwide,” Al Sissi said.

“From setting up a central crisis centre and COVID-19 task force, the country forged some of the most constructive public-private partnerships in the health sector and community collaborations to battle this effectively,” he said, adding that the country had set an example in many areas of managing the pandemic.

“Access to best medicines and treatment was provided to all during the crisis. In community spaces, movements to malls and restaurants and public places were closely monitored. Those in the age group of 60 and above were prohibited from being in closed community spaces where community transmission could have been high.

“The UAE government has been proactive on all fronts, keeping abreast of the global changes during this pandemic and implementing the same.”

He said, “The UAE government started the vaccine trials … and had nearly 33,000 volunteers by the end of August. In the first month of 2021, we have already completed vaccinating 2 million people. This journey has been tough, but the UAE government and the health care sector have taken on the challenge very smartly.”

Dr Atul Aundhekar, CEO of Avivo Health Care Group, who has been closely following the pandemic globally, said, “One of the litmus tests for any country battling the pandemic is the continuum of preventive care provided in COVID-19 treatment. The UAE Government deserves full marks to the manner in which it has proactively dealt with the crisis. Four most important strategies in containing community transmission that come to my mind are:

The government was in continuous touch with world bodies like WHO and other countries’ health care systems, closely following the new trends, new research, and wasted no time in implementing the best practices.

He said, “One of the most important symbols of pro-activeness was the implementation of vaccine research, trials and the mass vaccination programme. The UAE has set a precedent in this. As its residents, we are obliged to the government for the free-of-charge vaccination programme.

The most important thing for the people is keeping the community completely free of fear-mongering or mass fear syndrome. Even at the peak of the crisis, people were able to get their essential supplies, food, medicines easily and move safely in society. I think the next few months are very critical and we as residents need to fully cooperate with the government in complying with the national vaccination programme so that the country achieves the goal of herd immunity once over 60 per cent of the people receive the SARS COV 2 vaccine.”

Compiled by Nilanjana Javed, Senior News Editor

Shyam A. Krishna, Senior Associate Editor

Has my life returned to normal? Yes, to a large extent. I have been going to the office every day. Been shopping for groceries every week. There’s been the occasional mall trawling. Have even caught the Dubai Metro and the bus on several occasions. So, my life goes on, uninterrupted.

When much of the world is in lockdown at a time of coronavirus, my freedom is a luxury. A luxury afforded by the strict enforcement of COVID-19 safety protocols in Dubai and the rest of the UAE. The gridlocked roads during peak hours tell me that I’m not the only one out and about. Life in the UAE is close to normal.

What gives me the confidence to walk into a coffee shop or catch public transport. Well, I’ve had COVID-19. But that was eight months ago. Yet I’m not afraid of reinfection. Simply because people around me are following the safety protocols.

I’m always masked when I step out of the home. People all around me are wearing masks. You cannot enter any establishment — business or leisure — without wearing a mask. Which means everyone wears a mask. This is perhaps the main reason why the rate of infections and deaths have remained low.

Vaccination campaigns have been underway for several weeks, and the UAE leads the vaccination race. And people haven’t ditched the masks. All awareness campaigns harp on the need to keep wearing masks until there’s clear evidence that the virus threat has dissipated.

Everyone carries a sanitiser. But that too is not necessary since sanitiser dispensers are everywhere. You just need the inclination to sanitise. And people do. I was curious and watched people sanitise their hands frequently.

Social distancing is generally followed. Only in supermarkets, the compliance is low. And Metro during peak hours is crowded. At the height of the COVID-19 storm, Metro staff used to limit the number of people boarding the trains from each station.

More than a year has passed since the new coronavirus surfaced first in Wuhan, China. After around two million deaths and 80 million infections, we have several vaccines to rein in the plague of our times. The vaccination programmes around the world will take a while to take effect. Till then, we will continue to wear masks. Ignore the sniping doctor in Delhi who tweets about people roaming around Dubai without masks. She doesn’t know.

Or else, the Indian Premier League wouldn’t have left India. Cristiano Ronaldo and other football stars wouldn’t have come. It’s not just the celebs who are making a beeline for Dubai; the job seekers are back too.

The tourists are coming in droves. That’s what the Financial Times says. “Dubai opens up to tourists as rest of world locks down”, the headline proclaims. And it quotes a banker from New York saying that Dubai is the only place he knows where you can live your normal life. I believe him. All you need is a face mask.