It has been more than two months since borders have closed from different parts of the world. People went into mandatory home quarantine, some with general community quarantine (GCQ), while some with a stricter enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). While we can see sustainable practices and discipline to flatten the curve of this pandemic, are we ready to open the borders?
Here in Dubai, the government has started to relax the rules regarding the movement of people. This move was done in phases and maybe other nations can learn from this good practices before considering to opening their own borders.
Mass testing facilities and smart helmets
With a population of almost 10 million people here in the UAE, the government is doing an average of 25,000 – 28,000 COVID-19 tests daily. With these statistics, people are given more assurance that the government has the ability to monitor its people and make a more guided decision as and when needed.
Dubai has rolled out “Robocop” like smart helmets which give temperature information to efficiently identify possible suspected COVID-19 patients. Watch the video below from Khaleej Times Youtube showcasing the smart helmets which have received a lot of praise all over the world.
Contact tracing
This is where the advantage of having a national ID really plays a big role. There is almost no chance of getting a hard to find John Doe. Therefore, if someone is linked to a positive COVID-19 patient, the government is easily able to get in touch with all concerned.
Important reminder when leaving the house
In the height of the pandemic, people are restricted to leave their houses unless for emergency situations. People are required to get permits indicating where they are going and their plan start and end time to be back to their homes. Hefty fines were imposed for violating these guidelines wherein people have even asked questions if permits are required to throw their garbage outside of their homes. Information dissemination was done very efficiently with technology. Phone alarms are triggered to advise people not to leave their homes when National Disinfection Program is scheduled. (Many didn’t even know that the phone has that functionality)
In vehicles, only a maximum number of people are allowed even for families. Masks are mandatory while gloves are optional at any given time of leaving the house.
Guidelines for employees going back to work at the office
While many businesses can manage with employees working from home, there are still many requiring physical presence to function. Like my wife working for an insurance company, few applications, and signatories for cheques and other related documents needs to be done physically. And so, the government has put in a guiding rule that only a third of its employees can come in the same office location at one time. This gives the opportunity to practice social distancing while all are required to wear masks and gloves while working.
Guidelines for groceries and mall openings
The guidelines for groceries during the height of the quarantine and today remains the same. Only a limited number of people are allowed to enter the grocery stores. Temperature checks are done at the entrance and cashiers payments are with about two meters of social distancing. Some shops in the malls have started to open now, with store windows strictly showing how many customers are allowed to enter at any given time. This reminds me of a scene of Black Friday Sale in the US where only a limited number of people are allowed to go inside the store at any given time.
Guidelines for restaurants, salons and other essential services
Restaurants, salons, and spas have also started to reopen. For restaurants, social distancing is applied. Just recently in some states in the US, salon services have resumed requiring an appointment to go for a haircut and enough distance is ensured between customers.
Are we ready to open the borders?
Given the number of good practices put in place, the question now is, is this enough? Can we start to open the borders? It feels good that we can see our government is able to manage and oversee its people and give proper care. Sometimes it is not only about flattening the curve, but it is about the ability of the country to govern and provide the confidence and assurance to its people that proper healthcare can be provided as and when needed. For me, for the disciplined people of the UAE, this can be enough, but seeing how people in other countries still disregard the importance of required social practices is something we really need to consider when we start to welcome them to our borders once again.
Until then, stay safe everyone. #StayHome
Photo: Jesse Winter, Reuters
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