Social gatherings cause increase in COVID-19 cases in UAE

The increase in COVID-19 cases in the UAE is associated with private gatherings held at homes.

That's according to Dr. Omar Al Hammadi, the official spokesperson for the UAE Government, who spoke at a press conference on Monday

He explained that when meeting in public spaces, mandatory safety measures are followed. These include maintaining an appropriate social distance with others and wearing masks. 

Al Hammadi added that these guidelines are not necessarily followed when meeting in one's homes.

Dr. Al Hammadi: The increase we saw in Covid-19 cases was associated with social and family gatherings.Unlike people’s behavior at public places, which is subject to mandatory measures like social distancing and face mask wearing, private and family gatherings are not. #UAEGov

— UAEGOV (@UAEmediaoffice) August 10, 2020