Residents recall the time when virus hushed the Naif rush

Residents recall the time when virus hushed the Naif rush

Naif Street is always busy, said Mohammed Qaseem, an employee of Shams Naif Furniture located at the heart of the district in Dubai. “From the time the sun rises until it sets, it's full of life. It gets a little quiet only after 2am till 7am.”

For over 17 years, Qaseem has been waking up to the hustle and bustle of his neighbourhood — until Covid-19 hit in 2020. He and his companions witnessed something that changed their lives forever.

A year ago, Naif was one of the first to be placed in strict quarantine in Dubai. Streets were sealed off, while an intense sterilisation programme kept everyone indoors 24 hours for a month. Healthcare workers combed the densely populated area, testing residents one after another.

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To control the spread of Covid-19, the emirate's Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management closed all entry and exit points into the neighbourhood on March 28 last year. During that time, nearly 60,000 tests were carried out in the district alone. Movement restrictions were eventually eased on April 26, 2020.

“It was bizarre and