The sheikhdom also ordered restaurants and cafes to close by 1 a.m., as well as instituted crowd limits on cinemas, hotels, malls and other destinations.
The decision comes after Dubai insisted as recently as last week that “we can confidently say the current situation is under control.” That was as coronavirus testing facilities and hospitals came under pressure from 17 straight days of record reported daily coronavirus figures across the wider United Arab Emirates.
The announcement from the government's Dubai Media Office blamed “a marked increase in the number of violations of precautionary measures” for the decision made by the city-state's hereditary rulers.
