Combating coronavirus: 1,800 volunteers help UAE residents stay safe as they shop

Dubai - The volunteers hand out masks and gloves, and guide customers on the right way of sterilising their hands, and maintaining adequate social distance.

More than 1,800 volunteers fanned out in over 170 malls and supermarkets across the country to raise awareness about safe shopping in the time of Covid-19 under an initiative 'Labeah Ya Watan'.

The drive, launched by 'UAE Volunteers', sensitises shoppers about the preventive measures and ensures that precautions are in place to stymie the spread of the global pandemic.

The volunteers hand out masks and gloves to the visitors of the cooperative societies, trade centres and food outlets, guiding them to the right way of sterilising their hands, and maintaining a social distance of at least two meters in public while shopping. They also place signs everywhere to ensure shoppers' safety.

Obaid Al Hasan Al Shamsi, general manager of the National Authority for Emergency, Crisis and Disaster, said: "Labeah Ya Watan aims at reaching shoppers in several locations in more than 170 sites in the seven emirates. The initiative is targeting more than 1,600,000 people. They are provided with information on the dangers of the Covid-19 pandemic and the best preventive means and protection against the spread of the virus."

The authority equipped the volunteers with the necessary information about the preventive methods, and the best means of communicating such information to the target audience, he added.

Many governmental and private entities have also participated in the initiative, including 'Fazaa' team, which provided more than 70 volunteers who worked mainly in Carrefour branches across Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Al Ain. The national Takatof and Sanad programmes have also provided more than 110 volunteers across a number of Lulu Hypermarket branches to guide shoppers during their visits. Besides, Emirati students studying abroad are supporting the teams in several fields across the country.