Dubai disinfection drive gathers momentum

Dubai Municipality on Thursday evening commenced a three-day expanded campaign to sterilise the emirate’s areas in cooperation with Dubai government departments, as part of a comprehensive plan that targets utilities and public places with the use of advanced  devices and technologies in accordance with international best practices followed in this regard.

The campaign is part of the national sterilisation programme launched by the Ministry of Health and Prevention  in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, in order to reinforce the intensive preventive efforts aimed at ensuring the health and safety of community members, and ensure the highest levels of protection and prevention against the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Eng. Dawood Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality said, “Maintaining the safety of  society is one of our main responsibilities, which is multiplied at such times, in implementation of the wise leadership directives to provide the highest levels of prevention at the present time when the entire world is facing the danger of an outbreak of  the coronavirus (COVID-19). During this period our focus is to contribute to providing guarantees that ensure stability and safety for citizens, residents, and visitors. Human health and safety tops the list of our priorities at all times, especially in this  exceptional stage.”

Al Hajri pointed out that Dubai Municipality started from an early date to take all necessary measures to enhance the health and safety of community members, and that the sterilisation plan for the areas of the Emirate of Dubai comes within a comprehensive plan, aimed at sterilising public facilities and places in the Emirate using the advanced equipment and technologies  in accordance with the highest international standards and specifications.

He said this campaign comes within the framework of the efforts made by the Dubai government and is integrated  with the intensive measures and actions taken by all institutions and bodies in the country.

Al Hajri added that during this phase, the Municipality implemented sterilisation in 73 areas and streets,  and completed sterilisation of 129 sites and buildings belonging to Dubai Municipality using advanced devices and trained and qualified work teams. The latest vehicles and equipment for spraying and disinfection, including spraying devices that compress disinfection  fluid into small particles, portable sprays that operate hydraulic retail power, in addition to spray and fumigation machines, are used in the operations.

All sanitation products used have been approved by the Municipality, evaluated to verify their effectiveness  and registered in the ‘Montaji’ smart app approved by the World Health Organization, he said.

Al Hajri explained that Dubai Municipality performs accredited laboratory tests to ensure the safety of products,  their compliance with approved specifications and verify their effectiveness and an efficacy test is requested when needed as part of the evaluation and registration procedures to ensure the impact of the product against all types of germs declared in the  product identification card.  

Dubai Municipality mobilised its efforts to optimise sterilisation operations with the latest specialized equipment  and capabilities including six Haze spray vehicles (ULV), 34 pressure water spray vehicles (ACT), six vehicles used in street cleaning, 72 manual pressure sprayers, and a large number of spray machines and container cleaning equipment.

The Municipality has developed a list of approved anti-bacterials intended for professional use in the business  sector and the approved retail products can be checked by scanning the barcode of the product using the ‘Montaji’ smart app.

The Director General of Dubai Municipality appealed to all segments of society to cooperate with the work teams  and allow them to fully perform their duties by not gathering in the declared sites, so that public safety can be ensured.

He also called upon everyone to stay at home and not to go out except for the utmost necessity and follow the  instructions issued by the concerned authorities, which will help the success of preventive efforts and to be able to pass this temporary crisis as quickly as possible.