Dubai is busy, once again. In the last two weeks, most of the resorts in the Palm and Marina area appear to have reached its maximum capacity – whatever that is supposed to be. This is judging simply from the limitations they have introduced to restrict day pass users, and for those that are open for us residents – you can tell just by looking around. Sunbeds are full, their all-day dining is packed, your coffee takes that much longer to arrive at breakfast. You speak to the lifeguards, to that waitress rushing around taking orders, and they all tell you the same story. Dubai is busy.
Taken from Google Stats. A more accurate update can be found from https://covid19.ncema.gov.ae/en confirming 2998 today
Whilst I am happy that there is revenue flowing into the hospitality sector, one of the industries amongst many that was badly hit during the lockdown – you can’t help but worry. Cases have been increasing drastically over the last few days, from a steady state of 1000-1200 through November, spiking up to 1700 just before New Years. It was 2950 today, and it’s just the 9th of January 2021. What’s going to happen next?
Why, you wonder? Is it from the influx of tourists over the festive season? Coupled with the ignorant and stubborn ones who just can’t seem to put that face mask back on when they get up from their sunbeds? Add on the non-existent social distancing at all the many social events as of late? You’ve got a very happy virus who’s bouncing from one body to the other.
I’m not asking for another lockdown. Please don’t do it again. All I’m asking is for people to be a little bit more responsible, and for the hospitality sector themselves to enforce the rules – please be strict. Brief the guests when they check in – tell them the rules. Face mask on at ALL times unless you are on the sunbed, in the pool, or when you’re dining. Some of the hotels even have ‘Social Distancing Officers’ floating around – if there’s an event and people start to gather – go over and tell them to put their masks back on or to stay 2m away. If the drunk ones start to fight back, take them away. If we let loose, and let the guests win all the time, we’re going to get into big trouble again.
If you’re a tourist and you are reading this, please help us out. I’m happy Dubai is ‘open’ again but I really don’t want us to shut down. I want to go out for breakfast, sit in the sunshine. I want my girl to go to school. I want to go to my gym class. I want to get out of the house, and feel safe. We had a good run since July. Keep it this way. Be thankful you made it to Dubai for a holiday, but after you’ve had that beer, that swim, and all the sun, put your facemask back on once you’re walking around. Hotels and the mega names holding the events around town – you guys do your thing. Money coming in is fab but if we let it slide, we’re all going to shut again and I really don’t want that.
Cannot agree more. We were so spared from the lockdowns all other countries experienced in the fall, but as I see it now, the situation here in Dubai is getting really scary. Not a day goes by that we know of someone who has been contaminated. Don’t know how many PCR tests we have already done, just because we might have been in contact with a contaminated person.
Thanks for reading, and for leaving a message. UAE just went pass 3000 cases today.. sigh. The thing is we can ask the ‘big guys’ to do more but at the end of the day it’s the security guard standing by that playground, the lifeguard by the pool, the serving staff at the bar that has to do the very awkward and difficult job of asking people to be safe, put their face masks back on or to socially distant. I just hope things get better now that more travel restrictions have been introduced elsewhere (leaving their home countries to get here)!