Dubai: Around 75 per cent of Dubai’s districts had been disinfected by Civil Defence up until April 19, an official said on Sunday.
Major General Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, director of Dubai Civil Defence, said that his teams, in cooperation with concerned authorities, had conducted sterlisation operations around the clock across most of the city, particulalry the most densely populated areas.
He said 75 per cent of the city had been sterilised along with 490 field visits to labour camps in the emirate.
“Our teams sterlised labour camps and spread awareness by teaching workers the hygiene skills to protect themselves from COVID-19,” he said. “We educated the workers by placing stickers in their accommodation on how to protect themselves from the virus.”
He added that 161,977 workers benefited from their campaign.
On Friday, the Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management, chaired by Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced that the round-the-clock sterilisation programme in Dubai would be extended for an additional week. The extension follows the positive impact of the two-week sterilisation operations and intensified restrictions on movement aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.
The committee’s decision to extend the 24-hour sterilisation programme, which first came into effect on 4 April 2020, is part of its efforts to heighten precautionary measures against COVID-19.
Meanwhile, civil defence said that there was 79 per cent reduction of fires in Dubai during the national sterlisation programme compared to February 2020.
“We conducted 813 inspection operations for Dubai’s buildings in the exceptional time of COVID-19. The fires indicator witnessed a 79 per cent reduction compare to before the sterlisation programme,” Maj Gen Al Matroushi said.
Dubai Civil Defence increased the awareness of the precautionary measures among firefighters and employees and placed thermal screening cameras at the stations to check the symptoms. Masks and gloves provided as well as sterlising the vehicles and stations twice per week.