No coronavirus lockdown in Rolla or Sajja: Sharjah Police chief

The pandemic situation with the emirate is under control, confirmed Major-General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of the Sharjah Police.
"A number of cases have been detected, including among workers, but there is no need for a closure of any particular commercial or industrial zone so far," he said during the fourth remote media forum held on Wednesday.
"Thanks to the wise leadership, the situation is being handled by an integrated team to protect the citizens and residents of the UAE. Crowded areas in Sharjah like Rolla and Sajja are being monitored round the clock by more than 216 officers."
Covid regulation violators
The Sharjah Police have issued 3,902 fines for residents who violate the Covid-19 rules. "Majority of the fines - 2,176 violations - were not adhering to the stay-home restrictions in place while 1,725 were fined for overstepping the number of passengers in one vehicle," said Maj-Gen Al Shamsi.

Begging on the rise
With the current pandemic situation and Ramadan, beggars have tremendously increased their operations. "If they are caught, they will be transferred to shelters and treated with respect and provided all facilities until the airports reopen so they can be deported to their home countries. These people may be transmitters of Covid-19 as their rate of interaction is high," he said.
Workers are well-taken care off: Sharjah Police chief
A joint committee has been formed by the Sharjah Police and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) to meet the needs of workers at their accommodations and to ensure they are following the precautionary measure to curb the virus-spread. The committee works 24/7 across all sites and has inspected 27 workers' accommodations in industrial areas and Sajja. "Fourteen patrols are deployed in these areas to enforce safety and security. These include six patrols from the Sharjah Municipality and three parols from the Sharjah Economic Development Department," said Major-General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of the Sharjah Police.

Covid-testing among workers
A total of 90,777 workers have been tested for Covid-19 and a few cases were found to be positive. "Those who were found positive were given treatment and those who were in touch with them were isolated. Since there is no inter-emirate travel, the chances of the virus spreading is limited among workers," said Maj-Gen Al Shamsi.
"The joint committee is not only taking a supervisory role, but also a humanitarian role by getting involved with any issues that the workers face - ensuring they receive their salary and their meals on time. In a recent case, a number of Nepalese workers had their salaries delayed which was resolved by the joint committee, in coordination with the embassy," he added.
14 deaths due to traffic accidents in Q1
A total of 14 deaths were recorded due to traffic accidents in the first quarter of 2020, a significant drop from 39 deaths recorded in the same period last year.
Also, serious crimes were reduced by 37 per cent. Meanwhile, minor traffic accidents have seen a slight increase in the first quarter of the year.
"More than 3,000 cases have been registered in Q1 compared to 5,000 cases last year. Most of the cases registered were about theft or robberies due to the negligence of owners of establishments, who failed to secure their premises by installing cameras linked to the operations room of the Sharjah Police," said Major-General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of the Sharjah Police.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah