In a small compound in Dubai called Layan Community, Rohit Mehtani is constantly busy as he manages the only supermarket still open in the area after a lock-down was ordered by the authorities to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dubai residents now need to apply for permits to go outside their homes. Grocers and pharmacists — some of the only premises still allowed to open, along with medical centers — have enforced tighter sanitary and safety measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are making sure to take the temperature of all employees three times a day,” Mehtani said in a phone interview. “And we make sure they are wearing gloves and masks while working in the supermarket.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mehtani has placed sanitizing bottles for both his employees and customers to use. He also asks customers to wear masks and gloves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are not authorized to check if people have permits to move, but we do check if they wear gloves and masks — we make sure they maintain a certain distance whenever they are near the cash machine,” he said. \u201cThere were a few times where customers came into the store without masks and they were unaware that they must be wearing masks, but we explained to them and made them understand that this is required by the government.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mehtani said that sales increased by 40-50 percent at his supermarket since the lockdown came into force. \u201cThis high demand makes our jobs busier. The working hours have been reduced, so the work has become tougher. It’s difficult to manage but we still complete our work on a daily basis.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aneesh Aravind, head cashier at the supermarket, said customers are now buying more than before the confinement period. \u201cWhat’s happening now is that people are in their homes, so they are consuming more and eating more. They are ordering through the phone as well as online,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although Aravind follows all precautionary measures and wears a mask and gloves at all times, he feels nervous about catching the virus. \u201cBeing afraid is a normal thing, but we should take care of ourselves so we maintain a distance with customers. But what can I say? I\u2019m afraid. If I get infected, I will spread it to everyone around me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ashwini Sudhakr, who works at a pharmacy in Sustainable City, said the demand for masks is so high that sometimes they run out of stock. \u201cSometimes we don\u2019t let [customers] who come without masks in, but they tell us that they don\u2019t have masks because we don\u2019t have them in stock.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unlike supermarkets, the operating hours for pharmacies have not changed. \u201cWe operate from 8 a.m. until midnight. The difference is that we are delivering more because people are scared to come here. We give instructions to our delivery personnel to wear gloves and masks and also to keep a sanitizer with him, and to maintain a distance with the people,\u201d said Sudhakr. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sudhakr follows precautionary measures and also takes immunity boosters. \u201cGo out only for the necessities, avoid contact with the people, sanitize often and use gloves and masks. Don\u2019t panic\u2014if you panic the immune system will go down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Edited by: Raghad Murad <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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