By Dubai Bans House Parties with Friends Under Coronavirus Restrictions
Planning a house party with friends? Think again. Dubai is banning house parties with your mates under a new government directive to combat the spread of Coronavirus. Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management is “limiting attendance of weddings, social events and private parties to first-degree relatives totaling a maximum of 10 people only, whether at a hotel or at home”. The mandate comes into force on Wednesday 27th January.
Previously, up to 30 people, including non-relatives, could gather in a home if maintaining the rule of one person per four square metres and other safety measures. Which allowed us to invite a few friends around at least. Up to 200 people could attend social gatherings in hotels, halls or tents. The new cap is “due to a high number of violations”.
Dubai is tightening up its Covid-19 precautionary measures following a spike in the number of positive cases recently. The UAE announced 3566 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday 23rd January.
Entertainment Suspended
DJs and musicians received a blow last week. The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) suspended all entertainment activities in hotels and restaurants throughout Dubai until further notice. The DTCM directive came into effect on Thursday 21st January. Field inspectors reported “an increase in the number of violations during entertainment activities in hotels and restaurants”.
Also read: Dubai Suspends DJs and Live Music in Hotels and Restaurants
Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) suspended entertainment activities onboard vessels and floating restaurants too. So, no more DJs soundtracking yacht or boat parties either. DMCA said it will “continuously monitor and evaluate the situation in coordination with the concerned authorities in the Dubai Government”.
Furthermore, Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management has instructed restaurants and cafés to increase social distancing between tables. Tables must now be three metres instead of two metres apart. The number of people allowed to sit at one table in a restaurant is reduced from ten to seven. Only four people can sit at one table in a café.
Photo: Nathan John/Unsplash
