Coronavirus: Barricades block the streets of Dubai neighbourhood for thorough disinfection

Deira side of the Creek was deserted on Tuesday as residents stayed inside for two-week clean-up

The entrance to the famous gold souq was barricaded on Tuesday. Shopkeepers and residents must remain in their homes for two weeks. All photos by Reem Mohammed / The National

Police close off Baniyas Road, which runs along the Creek on the Deira side

Police use barricades to seal off the souq district

A man stands on his balcony in the Baniyas neighbourhood. Metro stations including Baniyas Square on the Green Line have closed and services will run through the underground station without stopping

Police officers patrol barricades preventing access to the gold souq and buildings inside the quarantine zone

The quarantine is in place to prevent the spread of the virus and ensure anyone who develops symptoms is easily identified

A man tosses bread to a customer on the locked down side of the barrier

The underpass near the dhow docks is usually packed with shoppers and passengers from the nearby cruise terminal

Dubai Health Authority said it would provide essential goods for everyone inside the quarantine zone. Most businesses appeared to be shut on Tuesday

Residents were warned to avoid the area so even businesses on the safe side have closed due to lack of demand

Residents on their balconies inside the lockdown area on Tuesday. They began 14 days of isolation on Tuesday

Police said once someone enters the area, they cannot come out for two weeks

The streets of the old town are normally packed with shoppers and guests from the nearby cruise terminal, which closed last month until further notice

The Al Ras area of Deira is one of the most densely populated parts of the city

Police officers turn traffic away from the area on Tuesday afternoon

Police said anyone who enters the district, for any reason, will not be allowed to leave

Streets along the Creek were deserted

Every narrow alleyway was blocked and guarded by officers

Hundreds of personnel will be used to sanitise streets, buildings and public areas

Barricades blocked the streets of one of Dubai's most densely populated districts on Tuesday as residents began a two-week stay inside during disinfection.

The normally bustling neighbourhood of Al Ras in Deira, home to the gold souq and labyrinthian alleys, was deserted as police ensured residents stayed indoors.

Once inside, no visitor or resident is allowed to leave. Entrances from Al Musalla, Al Khaleej, and Baniyas streets were closed. The Al Ras, Palm Deira and Baniyas Square stations on the metro Green Line were shut and commuter trains will pass through without stopping.

Officials made the decision in the early hours of Tuesday. They pointed to its dense population and the need to heavily sterilise streets and buildings.

In Al Kuwaiti supermarket in the safe zone, shoppers picked up basic supplies and protective equipment.

“People are only coming here for milk, biscuits and nuts, that’s it,” said Ahmed, whose store is on on the edge of the barricade on the corner of 10th street.

“We sell masks and hand sanitisers, that is what people want now.

“There are only a few people left around here. We have a shop inside the zone too, but we can’t go there now.”

Ahmed said a Chinese wholesaler calls into his market to offer new supplies of protective masks every few days. The man sells the shops boxes of 50 masks for Dh110.

Behind the barricades, residents could be seen leaning on the rails of their balconies.

A delivery man threw a parcel of bread over a barricade to a customer on the restricted side.

Dubai Health Authority said everyone inside the zone will be provided with essential supplies until April 14.

On nearby Baniyas Square, a leafy public park under which the closed metro station stands, Al Samah Pharmacy was running low on basics.

There were 15 bottles of isopropyl alcohol gel on the shelves it was down to its last 15 masks, rationed to one a customer at Dh2.50 each.

“Everything is closed now because of corona,” said Khaled, 27, a Pakistani security guard at Universal Exchange Centre, located on the safe side.

“Inshallah, my job is safe, but there are no people now, so who knows?

“I can’t go anywhere now so I must stay here. My family are back home in Punjab, they said life is very different there too.

“I check every customer coming into the bank with a thermometer gun.

“Out of all the people I checked, only a few had a high reading. But maybe it was just a temperature and nothing else.”

Anyone with a high reading was referred to police, who passed them to a doctor for further checks.

According to the World Health Organisation, the most common symptoms of Covid-19 is fever, fatigue and a perpetual dry cough.

As of Tuesday, March 31, more than 780,000 people had been infected in more than 170 countries.

Police warned those without personal protective equipment to keep away as the sterilisation programme got under way.

A police officer guarding the barricade said residents inside understood the situation.

“People are staying calm and being co-operative. People here know they must keep their distance," he said.

“Anyone who goes in, cannot come out.”