ABU DHABI — The United Arab Emirates could reintroduce some of the coronavirus preventive measures, like overnight curfew, as the country has seen a consistent spike in the number of new infections over the past five days. The UAE reported 210 coronavirus cases on Sunday, followed by 229 on Monday, 365 on Tuesday, 435 on Wednesday, and 461 cases on Thursday. Alarmed by the growing number of new cases, a government official has warned that the national sterilization program could return if the numbers keep climbing up. "It is possible to reinstate the national sterilization program in some areas if there are high numbers of COVID-19 cases," Dr. Saif Al Dhaheri, spokesman for National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA), said, on Thursday. Earlier this week, Abdul Rahman Al Owais, the UAE minister for health, also cautioned against the 30 percent rise in Emiratis contracting COVID-19, which he attributed to the rise in social gatherings during the festival season. "This rate of increase is worrying and indicates an increase in the rate of infection in the coming period," he had said during a media briefing. Dr. Omar Al Hammadi, the UAE government spokesperson, also said the average number of cases had increased by 136 in both Emiratis and residents. Cases have increased exponentially days mainly due to non-compliance of precautionary measures outlined by the country, said authorities. The UAE had completed its national sterilization program on June 24 and lifted all movement restrictions. The country-wide program, which was launched on March 26 to fight the coronavirus, saw complete sterilization of all facilities in the UAE including public transportation, streets, and other public areas.
