Uncertainty and lack of information have caused havoc, leaving athletes and staff quarantined for the fifth day of the UAE Tour.

Most of the 600 athletes and race staff have already returned home after testing negative for Covid 19 (also known as coronavirus), but all athletes who were staying on the fourth floor of their teams' hotels have been forced to stay behind.

This includes Cofidis, Gazprom Rusvelo, and Groupama-FDJ, where two riders reportedly began suffering from fever-like symptoms. UAE Team Emirates also remained in the country as a precautionary measure.

According to Cofidis rider Nathan Haas, the situation has dragged on and he is keeping a cool head about the situation as he awaits the results of another test, but admits that cracks are beginning to appear in other riders.

"The team is frustrated because there is no news. They have been re-inspected, but have not been informed of anything since. As soon as we get the results we should be able to leave, but we haven't heard anything," he told Cycling News in the UAE on Monday night.

"We were supposed to get the results at 10 a.m., but every time I ask for an update I just hear the same story from the hotel staff. There is one guy in a white jacket who says he is talking to the authorities, but in reality he is just smiling and nothing more."

Teams, riders, and media were locked down Thursday night after two cases of covid 19 were reported. Retests proved negative, but two days later, several others on the fourth floor complained of fever, forcing medical officials to return to the hotel to conduct further tests.

Other than the first two who tested positive, the positives were eventually withdrawn, but there were no further positive cases.

"There have been no positive tests, but just a few people with fever, and that has ruined everything," Haas said. 'The biggest problem is that they let hundreds of people go, sharing the same space, eating at the same buffet. And when they were leaving, I said, 'Everyone on the fourth floor, stay here.'"

"They lowered bags of food to our door, and this is what happened, which was fair. Half of the riders who left didn't have the paperwork to say they weren't positive. I don't think we are stuck here because we are worried about something unnecessary, but because the authorities are trying to save face."

"It appears that way to us. We are all healthy, we have a team doctor, they are checking us out.

"I'm calm and have a good perspective. They are playing on people's patience. It's starting to wreak havoc and I think it's only going to get worse."

Even if the players are released in the next few hours or days, they will miss almost a week of training. That would have a huge impact on their spring season, not to mention the strain it would put on the teams that have to deal with the lack of players.

While the health of the riders and the public is the biggest concern, Haas admits that the situation continues to cause problems without clear information.

"We are now approaching day five, and it's day five without cycling. We are approaching an important goal for the Classic. I understand there are bigger things in the world, but this is our life."