Coronavirus: Dubai to push back nightly restrictions from 8pm to 11pm - and open cinemas and gyms

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - Dubai will ease restrictions on personal movement and allow gyms and cinemas to open from Wednesday.

Nightly restrictions will be pushed back from 8pm to 11pm and be lifted at 6am each morning.

Cinemas and gyms will also be allowed to open from Wednesday, May 27.

The announcement was made at a meeting of Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management, chaired by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.

“Everyone is responsible," Sheikh Hamdan reminded the public, in a news release on Monday night.

He said the government was aware of economic challenges facing countries across the globe.

"What makes us different is our ability to deal positively with changes and our agility," he said.

"We have all the elements necessary to adapt to these challenging circumstances. I am confident that all members of the society will come together to overcome this crisis as soon as possible."

Responsibility on the part of the public, and a significantly enhanced medical sector, was a key part of opening up the economy, a news release said.

Dubai Government Media Office highlighted that a 3,000-bed field hospital at World Trade Centre and a 1,200-bed facility at the closed theme park, Dubai Parks and Resorts, was ready to handle cases, if needed.

The 29,000 square metre hospital at the theme park was set up with the help of Abu Dhabi's public hospital operator Seha and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

Sheikh Hamdan was briefed on measures crucial to ensuring that activities can open up, including physical distancing, the wearing of face masks, use of sanitisers and prevention of congestion and crowding in public places.

There remains a need to ensure family visits and social gatherings are avoided unless within strict guidelines.