The Ministry of Health Prevention, MoHAP and the Ministry of Interior, MoI have announced, in collaboration with relevant federal and local authorities, the 'National Disinfection Programme' which entails a complete sterilisation of all public utilities, public transport and metro services during the weekend.

The programme will begin at 08:00 PM on Thursday 26 of March and ends at 06:00 AM on Sunday 29 of March 2020.

During this period, the movement of the traffic and the public will be restricted, while public transpiration and metro services will be halted.

MoHAP urged the public to stay at home during the disinfection time and not to go out unless it's absolutely necessary to get essential supplies, such as food and medicine, or working in vital sectors, including energy, telcommunications, health, education, security, law enforcement, military, postal service, shipping and logistics, medicines, water, food, civil aviation, airports, passports, banking financial services, government media and the service sectors, including petrol stations and construction. The workers' personal or work identity will be checked and verified.

Pharmacies, and food retail outlets in the UAE, including cooperative societies, grocery stores, and supermarkets, will be allowed to operate 24 hours, as per a circular issued earlier by the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, NCEMA.

The two ministries also called upon the community members to follow instructions during the sanitsation time for their safety and in compliance with the precautionary measures taken by the UAE contain the coronavirus, COVID-19.

A press briefing will be held tomorrow at 12 noon to elaborate on the national sanitization programme.