Sharjah resident Saud Bin Ahmed lost his father to COVID-19 over the weekend. Image Credit: Screengrab

Dubai: A Sharjah-based resident has broadcast a personal video after losing his father to the coronavirus, urging residents to take heed of the government’s precautionary measures.

Saud Bin Ahmed’s video caught the attention of UAE residents after his video message, which was initially sent by WhatsApp to friends and family, gained traction on social networking sites.

In the video, Bin Ahmed tearfully explained how his 69-year old father woke up three days ago feeling ill and was diagnosed with COVID-19. By the end of the day, his beloved parent had succumbed to the virus.

"My brothers, I want to tell you that today, because of this illness, I lost a person that was very dear to me. Today, I don’t want you to lose the closest people to you, may God protect them for many more years to come," he said.

“Stay away from people who have an underlying sickness or who are in critical condition. My father, may his soul rest in peace, was sick and couldn’t beat the virus, and passed away. I know this is all God’s will, but this illness doesn’t give a chance to anyone. In the morning [my father] fell sick, and passed away in the afternoon.”

He urged everyone to follow the guidelines issued by UAE authorities, and reminded everyone to stay at home unless necessary.

In the latest guidelines issued by the Dubai Economy, residents should avoid visiting high-risk individuals such as the elderly and those with chronic diseases in different households, in order to ensure their safety.

“Visiting same family members living in different houses must be limited and restricted to being essential and as per need,” said Dubai Economy in its section titled “Social and Cultural Values”.

Social guidelines

To protect residents against coronavirus COVID-19, the Ministry of Health and Prevention – in cooperation with the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority – issued a set of guideline that should be followed during Ramadan.

Some of the new precautionary measures include restricting the number of people to five at any given place, not distributing food to individuals, and banning the use of tents in people’s homes or public places.