UAE likely to resume nighttime curfews, lockdowns in some areas as COVID-19 cases spike

On Wednesday and Thursday, the UAE discovered more than 400 confirmed cases of the virus, its highest numbers in about a month amid an aggressive testing campaign.

A health official in the United Arab Emirates has warned that nighttime curfews and lockdowns could resume in parts of the country as coronavirus case numbers spike. Dr Saif al-Dhaheri of the UAE's National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority made the comments late Thursday in an interview aired on a state-owned television channel.

Asked if those measures could be taken, al-Dhaheri said: "Yes. If we found that the number of cases is increasing in a specific area, we could." Returning to lockdowns could hurt Dubai, the skyscraper-studded city that's reopened for tourists just a few weeks ago. It also could affect the UAE's efforts to host the Indian Premier League next month. On Wednesday and Thursday, the UAE discovered more than 400 confirmed cases of the virus, its highest numbers in about a month amid an aggressive testing campaign. Officials have blamed the rise in infections on the public not taking wearing masks and social distancing.