A new directive was distributed to all Dubai hotels…

Dubai Police has issued a directive to all Dubai hotels stating that alcohol must not be served. All venues which are licensed to serve alcohol must cease operation immediately, until further notice.

In line with the precautionary measures set by Dubai government to ensure the health and safety of everyone, the Dubai Police Department of Criminal Investigations has placed a ban on the serving of alcoholic drinks.

Hotels are permitted only to serve alcoholic drinks to guests via room service, but all restaurants must cease to serve alcohol immediately.

The news comes after all restaurants were directed to close for at least two weeks, limiting their sales to delivery or drive-thru only. Hotels were permitted to keep their restaurants open for in-house guests, but must follow a number of strict procedures.

Malls in the UAE have also been closed until at least Wednesday April 8, with the exception of supermarkets and pharmacies. All supermarkets, grocery stores and pharmacies are now permitted to stay open for 24 hours per day.

A number of additional measures have been put in place to ensure that people are staying in their home unless absolutely necessary. Dubai Police has issued patrol cars to monitor the streets, as well as deployed drones for public areas.

The UAE government is asking people to only leave their houses for necessities, such as groceries and medicine, or to go to work, if they can’t work from home.