Emotional footage
As coronavirus continues to spread, numbers are increasing and being fed out to the world on a screen.
However, when you see an everyday situation stop due to the ramifications of the virus, that’s when it hits home. In a video recorded of a nurse in Saudi Arabia returning home after a long shift perfectly depicts that in the most heartbreaking way.
Naser Ali Al-Shahrani, a nurse working in Riyadh, returned home after working a shift in a hospital and was greeted by his adoring son Mohammed.
A Saudi doctor returns home from the hospital, tells his son to keep his distance, then breaks down from the strain. pic.twitter.com/0ER9rYktdT
— Mike (@Doranimated) March 26, 2020
However, as his son runs up to him with open arms, the father is forced to tell his son “no” to the hug. Clearly heartbroken, the nurse leans down to his son’s level and putting his hands to his face visibly upset.
As to why he shared the video, Al-Shahrani is aiming to “touch the hearts of the people who do not follow the lockdown rules or other precautions, such as avoiding handshakes”.
The video has now gone viral having received nearly seven million views on Twitter.
Lockdown in Saudi Arabia
Currently Saudi Arabia has strict lockdown laws in place in order to combat the spread of COVID-19.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior is restricting travel between the kingdom’s 13 regions and there is a strict curfew from 3pm to 6am.
Only those who work in vital parts of public and private sectors are exempt from the curfew. This includes those in the military, security, media and in the health and service industries.
Cinemas, malls and restaurants have been shut down in the country, and flights have been suspended. Prayers have also been suspended inside mosques in Saudi Arabia, except for Mecca and Medina.
UAE shutdowns
Similar suspensions and shutdowns have taken place in the UAE.
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All UAE malls, commercial centres, cinemas, gyms, parks, bars, lounges, public and privates beaches and more have been shut down until April 8. Prayers in public places of worship have also been suspended.
Restaurants are also no longer allowed to take customers, and can only stay open if they have a delivery option.
All UAE citizens and residents have been instructed to stay home unless it’s absolutely necessary to leave.
At present there has been 1,104 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Saudi Arabia, 1,066 which are active. There has been 35 recoveries and three deaths.
In the UAE, there has been 405 confirmed cases, 348 of which are active. There has been 55 recoveries and two fatalities.
Media: Twitter, Instagram
