On April 4, Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis & Disaster Management revealed that it would be establishing a sterilization program for the next two weeks to curb the disease’s spread in the city. Under the program, members of the public are only allowed to leave their houses for essential needs such as buying food, medicine or receiving COVID-19 testing. In a household of people, only one person is allowed to leave to purchase food or medicine.
In a statement to Gulf News, Brigadier Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, director of the Traffic Department of the Dubai Police, revealed that AI and speed radars are being used to determine which vehicles have movement permits, which have been provided to people working in vital sectors to allow them to travel freely to their jobs. Examples of vital sectors include health care services, food supply outlets and delivery services.
The AI system is able to determine which route a person in a vital sector takes to work and can identify if a person steers from away from that route to visit friends, for instance.
“If you see a flash from a radar, then don’t expect an immediate fine. AI is being used, and the Dubai police system can process each radar fine and check if the plate number belongs to someone who works in a vital sector or not,” Mazroui said.
“We updated the system with people from exempted and vital sectors to be recognized by the AI before issuing the fine,” Mazroui added, also noting that the AI system can determine whether you went out for an essential purpose or a nonessential one. It is unclear how much the fines will cost.
“If you moved in your district for essential purposes, then the system won’t fine you,” he added. “The system can identify the person who is violating the movement restriction by going out for an unnecessary matter. People need to keep proof like a purchase receipt to waive the fine.”
Mazroui also noted that people should not be grocery shopping every day amid the outbreak.
“It’s illogical for someone to go every day to the shops to buy food. People should buy enough food every two or three days to reduce the movement on the roads,” he explained.
The latest data by Worldometer reveals that there are more than 2,000 COVID-19 cases in the UAE, and 11 people have died there from the disease. The UAE is made up of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain.
