Dubai suspends brunches to curb spread of COVID-19

Brunch at a Dubai hotel in November, 2018. (Shutterstock)

• Yacht tours and parties will now accommodate only 10 people
• Dubai cut the number of people allowed in shopping malls and hotels as part of new measures to halt a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections. From Tuesday, bars and cinemas closed, while cafes and restaurants will also operate with restrictions

DUBAI: Dubai’s Tourism Authority asked hotels and restaurants to suspend Friday brunches until February 28, various media reports from indicate.
The authority advised to “postpone any activity that leads to large gatherings such as weekend brunches,” in a recent communication cited by the reports.
Yacht tours and parties will now accommodate only 10 people, instead of 50 percent capacity as earlier.
The authority warned “any failure to comply with precautionary measures will result in serious action against the venue.”
The suspension comes as coronavirus cases in the Emirates neared the 4,000-mark after a few days of decline. Health authorities confirmed 3,977 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the country’s caseload to 313,626.
On Monday, Dubai cut the number of people allowed in shopping malls and hotels as part of new measures to halt a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections.
From Tuesday, bars and cinemas closed, while cafes and restaurants will also operate with restrictions.
The measures come as the UAE is increasingly concerned by the rise in cases since December.