Coronavirus in UAE: New list of fines for violating Covid-19

A Dh1,000 fine for people not maintaining social distancing and Dh2,000 for leaving homes for unnecessary reasons are among the new penalties for violating precautionary measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.

The UAE Attorney General, Counselor Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, on Friday, March 27, issued resolution No. (38) for the year 2020 following the cabinet decision No. 17 of 2020 regarding violating regulations for spreading communicable diseases.

The resolution sets penalties ranging from Dh500 to Dh50,000 for violating precautionary measures to curb the spread of coronavirus.

According to the new resolution, leaving your home for non-vital work or for buying necessities during the prescribed period to stay home attracts a fine of Dh2,000.

The resolution also imposes a fine of Dh1,000 for not wearing medical masks indoors or failure to maintain social distancing when walking on the streets.

Also, a motorist who allows more than three persons in car will be slapped a fine of Dh1,000.

The new resolution also imposes a fine of Dh10,000 to anyone caught organizing gatherings or social events like a wedding or party and those attending it will be fined 5,000.

If a quarantined person leaves his home or any other place of quarantine, he faces a fine of 50,000. The resolution also sets a Dh5,000 fine for a person who refuses to conduct medical test upon request.

The cabinet decision, which was issued on March 26 and immediately came into effect, was part of the government's preventive precautionary measures to combat the spread of coronavirus and to protect the health of citizens and residents.

According to the resolution, the penalties would double if a person repeats the violation. And if caught committing the violation for the third time, the offender would be referred to the federal public prosecution.

List of violations and penalties

-Dh50,000 fine for not complying with instructions of home quarantine.

-Dh50,000 fine for patients who refuse the mandatory hospitalisation or failing to take the prescribed medicines despite being alerted.

-Dh50,00 fine for violating administrative closure of public places like shopping centers, malls, outdoor markets, gyms, public swimming pools, cinemas, clubs, parks and restaurants dining customers.

-Dh500 fine for people caught visiting the public places.

-Dh10,000 fine for organizing social gatherings, meetings and public celebrations.

-Dh5,000 fine for people attending the social gatherings and public celebrations.

-Dh5,000 fine for not conducting a medical test upon request.

-Dh2,000 fine for violating precautionary measures set by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention by people coming from nations affected by communicable diseases.

-Dh3,000 fine for failure to observe health measures regarding regulation of roads, markets and other public places exempted from temporary closure.

-Dh3,000 for failure to dispose of clothes, luggage or any temporary structures proved to be contaminated and can't be disinfected by the standard established methods.

-Dh1,000 fine for not wearing medical masks indoors.

-Dh1,000 fine for unnecessary visits to hospitals and other health facilities.

-Dh1,000 fine for allowing more than 3 persons in car.

-Dh1,000 fine for not maintaining social distancing while walking.

-Dh2,000 fine for leaving home with no important work or a genuine reason.

-Dh3,000 fine for violating provisions of the law when burying or transporting the body of a person who died from a communicable disease.

-Dh5,000 fine for drivers failing to maintain hygiene and following sterilization procedures in public transportation.

-Dh10,000 fine for failure to take precautionary measures by the crew on ships.