Dubai Police Chief Lt Gen Abdullah Al Marri has expressed his concerns over house parties and family gatherings contributing to the increase in surge of COVID-19 cases.

Lt Gen. Al Marri said that a lot of people are defying rules in order to prevent the spread of the virus.

In a report on the National, the Dubai Police chief said that there was an incident where 80 people were found to be gathering at house parties.

“There are parties in which the number is limited to 20 or 40 people but we find 80. This is unacceptable behaviour,” Lt Gen Al Marri said.

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The police chief said that it’s challenging to monitor the gatherings taking place at homes.

He urged the public to be more mindful and make sure health protocols are being followed to protect themselves from the virus.

“Neglecting precautionary measures against the spread of coronavirus during private family gatherings, family parties and weddings is one of the reasons for the recent increase in the number of infected people,” he added.

He also appealed for communities to take the COVID-19 vaccine effort seriously to limit the spread of the virus.

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“The country has spared no effort. We can see testing centres everywhere; there are about 50 centres in Dubai,” he said.

The Dubai police chief said that people can get vaccinated and choose from two available vaccines in UAE.

“People can also get vaccinated, with two types of vaccines currently available in Dubai and a third approved by the country for emergency cases. It’s every individual’s responsibility. We must continue with this solidarity to control the pandemic and limit the numbers that have been increasing recently,” he said.

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Dubai has limited the number of people who can sit together at the same table. Only 7 people will be allowed in restaurants while 4 in cafes.

Guests in social events like weddings, parties will also be limited.

Only first degree relatives like parents, children and siblings will be allowed to join house gatherings and social events.

The country has recorded new 3,579 cases increasing the total of 277,955 confirmed COVID-19 cases. (TDT)