The sterilisation will be carried out daily from 8pm until 6am.

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Ministry of Interior on Saturday announced that the national sterilisation programme has been extended until April 5.

Also read: UAE announces 63 new coronavirus cases



The sterilisation will be carried out daily from 8pm until 6am the following morning, they added, and restrictions in the movement of traffic will continue.

Extension of The National Disinfection Programme until April 5 across the #UAE . #StayHome pic.twitter.com/E2BrgIOVL2 - Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 28, 2020





The sterilisation programme, which began on Thursday evening at 8pm as part of a drive to protect the residents from the Covid-19 coronavirus, was to initially last until 6am on Sunday.

During this drive, all public transport in the country including the Metro, will be suspended.

The ministry once again stressed that all retail food outlets such as cooperative societies, supermarkets, grocery stores and pharmacies will remain open 24/7. The public will continue to have access to them even during the period of movement restrictions during the disinfection.

Residents are strictly advised to refrain from going out during the sterilisation period, and may be penalised if they do so.

A Dh1,000 fine for people not maintaining social distancing and Dh2,000 for leaving homes for unnecessary reasons are among the new penalties for violating precautionary measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.



The UAE Attorney General, Counselor Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, on Friday, March 27, issued resolution No. (38) for the year 2020 following the cabinet decision No. 17 of 2020 regarding violating regulations for spreading communicable diseases.



The resolution sets penalties ranging from Dh500 to Dh50,000 for violating precautionary measures to curb the spread of coronavirus.



According to the new resolution, leaving your home for non-vital work or for buying necessities during the prescribed period to stay home attracts a fine of Dh2,000.

Here is the complete list of fines