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An Ajman Police patrol vehicle. Ajman, along with the rest of the UAE, has seen a spike in the number of COVID-19 positive cases in recent weeks primarily due to violations of the health and safety protocol by sections of the public. Image Credit: Courtesy: Ajman Police

Ajman: Not wearing masks and attending large gatherings are among the main causes behind the sudden increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Ajman, Ajman Police said.

Ajman Police launched the ‘Our Commitment is a Duty’ initiative to raise awareness on the precautionary measures as part of their continuous efforts to support adherence to preventive steps to limit the spread of coronavirus,

Major Noura Sultan Al Shamsi, head of the Media and Public Relations Department of Ajman Police, said. He added that in view of the increase in COVID-19 infections, police and the authorities have intensified their public awareness campaigns, urging people to follow all the precautionary measures such as wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing. He said that many people were not adhering to the health protocol and not following social distancing at shops and commercial centres. Some people were not wearing masks the right way, while many others were not following the rule of wearing masks in a vehicle with more than three passengers.

He reminded the public that the penalty for not wearing masks is Dh3,000 and the penalty for violating the limit for maximum number of passengers in a vehicle is Dh1,000 on the vehicle and Dh5,000 on the owner of the company the vehicle belongs to.

Major Al Shamsi also pointed out that service providers at restaurants and eateries must wear masks at all times for the safety of their guests and in order to avoid a fine of Dh5,000 on the facility and Dh500 for each violating service provider. He added that police keep receiving reports about violations of precautionary measures and action is being taken against the violators.

Major Al Shamsi also said that violations of physical-distancing rules at shopping centres, homes and even at parks and other public places have increased in recent times, resulting in a rise in the number of positive cases of COVID-19. He said that people have been gathering in large numbers at parks and beaches, without wearing masks and without maintaining physical distancing. He reminded that social gatherings such as weddings or gatherings in the desert that include more than 20 guests or attendees will attract a penalty of Dh10,000 on the organiser and a fine of Dh5,000 on each participant. He said that recently a wedding reception that had more than 150 guests attending, without following any health protocol, was fined.

Major Al Shamsi said health and community safety were more important than gatherings and celebrations and everyone should join hands to stop violations of the precautionary measures. He praised all those people who have shown heir commitment towards society by taking the vaccine against COVID-19. He reminded the public about the slogan “Hand in hand, to recover” to help people return to normal life.

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Seven mistakes that must be avoided by someone with coronavirus while receiving treatment at home:

1. Socialising with family members.

2. Failure to take the prescribed medications and following the order of medications.

3. Not wearing mask and gloves.

4. Breaking the isolation immediately after one starts feeling better.

5. Being in stress and anxiety.

6. Lack of attention to personal hygiene.

7. Not being careful with the patient’s clothes and touching them without taking necessary precautions.

Source: Ajman Police