Ahead of IPL 2020, UAE reports spike in COVID-19 cases; ‘worrying’, says minister

Dubai: Ahead of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) in the UAE, there is a spike in the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases among locals and expatriates in the Emirates, according to a media report in Dubai.

In a report in Gulf News on Thursday (August 20), health officials have warned public against lowering their guard amid the rise in number of COVID positive cases.

UAE minister for health and prevention, Abdul Rahman Al Owais cautioned against the 30% rise in Emiratis contracting COVID-19, which he attributed to the rise in social gatherings during the festival season, according to the newspaper’s website.

“This rate of increase is worrying and indicates an increase in the rate of infection in the coming period,” he had said during a media briefing, the report said.

Dr Adel Al Sisi, the Chief Medical Officer, Consultant of ICU and Chair of Intensive Care at Prime Hospital, was quoted as saying, “The UAE government has done a commendable job with more than six million tests, which is more than 50 per cent of the total population. The higher the tests, the more are the possibilities of detecting asymptomatic cases in the community. That is why we see a surge. However, there is cause for alarm when we see a rise in number of cases.”

UAE has reported over 65,000 COVID-19 cases and 369 deaths, according to reports.

On Thursday, Rajasthan Royals (RR), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) IPL teams landed in the UAE.

All the players will be quarantined for a week in their respective hotel rooms. Later, they will start training.

IPL 2020 will be played in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah from September 19 to November 10. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to shift the tournament amid the coronavirus pandemic.