DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates extended on Saturday to April 5 a de-facto nightly curfew to sterilise public places, the health ministry said on Saturday.

The plan to sterilise public places is part of efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak. It is being implemented between 8 p.m. (1600 GMT) and 6 a.m. (0200 GMT) each day.

It began on March 26 and was originally meant to end on the morning of March 29.

"We are all hoping that everybody, citizens, residents and visitors, will stay at home during this period," Farida Al- Hosani, a health ministry spokeswoman, told a media conference broadcast on local TV channels.

The UAE has reported two deaths from the pandemic and 468 confirmed infections.

 

 

 

(Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; editing by Jason Neely) ((maher.chmaytelli@thomsonreuters.com;))