Watch: How Dubai carried out massive COVID-19 disinfection drive using 6.5m litres of sanitisers

Watch: How Dubai carried out massive COVID-19 disinfection drive using 6.5m litres of sanitisers

Dubai: This time last year, when UAE residents stayed home to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, an army of workers were out in the field every night, spraying disinfectants to sanitise streets and lanes to battle COVID-19. A year later, a top Dubai Municipality official has recounted how the frontline warriors toiled night after night to spray around 6. 5 million litres of disinfectants to sanitise over 1, 265 sites, while officials tackled the challenges of mobilising the massive resources needed for the mission and allaying fears of the workers who embarked on the never-before experience during the pandemic. In an exclusive interview to Gulf News, Dr Naseem Mohammed Rafee, director of Health and Safety Department and head of Emergencies, Crisis and Disaster Management Team at Dubai Municipality (DM) narrated how Dubai spearheaded the drive days before the national sterilisation campaign began on March 26, 2020. "DM has been the focal point via spearheading the national sterilisation programme in Dubai, where the disinfection programme started earlier on March 20, 2020," the Emirati official said. As the civic authority, Dr Naseem said, one of the main responsibilities of DM is ensuring and maintaining the health and safety of the