A round-up of major developments related to Covid-19 across the country.
Published: Fri 17 Jul 2020, 7:35 AM
Updated: Fri 17 Jul 2020, 5:46 PM
Here's a round-up of all the latest Covid-19 developments you need to know:
UAE leads vaccine race
The UAE has stolen a march over other countries in the quest for a vaccine against Covid-19 with the launch of final phase 3 human trials. Department of Health - Abu Dhabi, Group 42 and Chinese pharmaceutical major Sinopharm are partnering for the study that will rope in 15,000 volunteers to further test the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. It will test two vaccine strains and a placebo. Two doses three weeks apart will be administered and volunteers followed for a year, said Nawal Al Kaabi, head of the UAE's Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee. Volunteers should be 18 to 60 years of age with no serious underlying medical issues and without previous Covid-19 infection, Al Kaabi said.
UAE reports 281 new Covid-19 cases, 994 recoveries
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Thursday reported 281 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 994 recoveries. The new cases were detected through additional 48,000 tests. The UAE once again recorded no deaths in the past 24 hours.
Covid-19 vaccine trial open to 15k volunteers in Capital
Up to 15,000 volunteers from Abu Dhabi city and Al Ain will be taking part in the Covid-19 vaccine trial that started in the Capital on Thursday, authorities have announced. Volunteers may now register on the website 4humanity.ae. A partnership between the Abu Dhabi-based tech firm Group 42 (G42) and Chinese pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm, this clinical trial operation is the first WHO-enlisted Phase 3 trial for an inactivated Covid-19 vaccine
Abu Dhabi health chief kicks off Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trials
The world's first WHO-listed Phase III clinical trial of the Covid-19 inactivated vaccine has begun in Abu Dhabi, with Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, Chairman of the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi, the first to participate in the trial. He was followed by Dr Jamal Al Kaabi, the department's acting undersecretary. The clinical trial will last for about three to six months, according to a statement from the Abu Dhabi government. It will be open to individual volunteers who are living in Abu Dhabi city and Al Ain.
Abu Dhabi launches website for vaccine trial volunteers
Volunteers in Abu Dhabi interested in participating in the world's first World Health Organization-enlisted global clinical Phase III trials of a Covid-19 inactivated vaccine can now register on www.4humanity.ae. Volunteers need to submit their details and contact information to the organisers of this historic initiative. Emiratis and residents of all nationalities aged between 18 and 60 are eligible to take part in the trials if considered suitable after a medical check-up. A special hotline, 02 819 1111, has also been created for all volunteers signing up for the trials.
Abu Dhabi announces reopening of more public parks, beaches
Abu Dhabi is all set to reopen more public beaches and parks with Covid-19 safety measures - after announcing reopening of some beaches and parks earlier in July. Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport announced the reopening of more public parks and beaches in the capital, Al Ain and Al Dhafrah at 40 per cent capacity as part of the the second stage of reopening following an extensive sterilisation process. Precautionary measures will include thermal cameras at entrances to check temperatures with only a maximum of four people allowed per group. All beachgoers must wear masks, and showers will be closed.
Pre-booking must for Covid tests at border
Residents must take appointments to avail of the Dh50 laser-based Covid test at the new testing facility on the Dubai-Abu Dhabi border, the Abu Dhabi Emergency Crisis and Disasters Committee has announced.
The appointments can be booked through the website www.ghantoot.quantlase.com.
Authorities said the appointment-based testing was launched owing to the high demand for the test that will give results in less than five minutes.
UAE's coronavirus response an inspiring success story: Hamdan
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, on Thursday attended the 'Ai Everything' conference held at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The conference, which celebrated the UAE's effective use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in combating the Covid-19 pandemic, sought to explore the future of the technology and how it can bring about qualitative shifts in various sectors. The event hosted top-level executives and officials representing key sectors, including the government, healthcare, education and retail from the UAE and across the world. Sheikh Hamdan emphasised that the UAE has created a successful model for designing the future and ensuring high levels of preparedness to deal with unforeseen challenges, thanks to the guidance of Sheikh Mohammed.
Emirates flying to 4 more cities
Emirates airline has announced it will resume flights to four additional cities next week - Tehran from today; Guangzhou from July 25; Addis Ababa from August 1; and Oslo from August 4. This will take the airline's passenger network to 62 destinations in August, offering customers around the world more convenient connections to Dubai, and via Dubai. All flights will be operated with the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER and can be booked on emirates.com or via travel agents.
Varsity project to study virus' transmission from animals
Researchers in the UAE are now investigating how the Covid-19 virus - which is usually found in mammals - was transmitted from animals to humans. The project falls under the 'Covid-19 Research and Development Task Force' initiative of the Khalifa University of Science and Technology. The current Covid-19 outbreak is an example of zoonosis, which refers to diseases that can be transmitted to humans from animals.
The team members have expertise in medicine, molecular genetics, bioinformatics, veterinary science, and epidemiology.
'UAE-India travel agreement to be reviewed by July 20'
The travel agreement between India and the UAE will be reviewed on July 20, said Hardeep Singh Puri, Indian Minister of Civil Aviation. The arrangements, made by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) with Middle East carriers, were for a period of two weeks, he added. He underlined that bilateral air bubbles will be the way to resume international travel amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The Vande Bharat Mission is currently in the fourth phase. It involves 619 flights which will bring back more than 200,000 Indians. He said 687,467 people have been brought back so far out of which Air India carried 215,495.
Indian states clearance must for chartered flights
Airlines operating unauthorised charter flights from the UAE will not be allowed to land in India, the country's Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has warned. The civil aviation body has told air traffic controllers (ATCs) via a circular to not allow flights to land in India. The decision comes a few days after a charter flight from the UAE landed in Mumbai without state approvals, due to which nearly 200 passengers had to wait for up to 12 hours at the airport's arrivals section, said a passenger on the flight.
The circ
Generous expats step in to help parents of quadruplets
The UAE community has come forward to help a Dubai couple who is staring at Dh600,000 in hospital bills after having quadruplets. Help has poured in for the Nigerian couple Suliyac Abdulkareem, 29, and Cijani Adigun Shakiru, 33, after Khaleej Times reported the plight of the new parents. Suliyac, who did not have medical insurance, could not find a repatriation flight to go back home before the delivery date and got saddled with debts. Abdul Hakeem Anifowoshe, a Nigerian national who is coordinating the efforts, said they have raised Dh30,000 toward the medical bills through generous donations from Nigerian expats as well as other communities.
Stranded Ghanaians to go home today
Tears of joy rolled down as 21-year-old Ghanian national Naomi Doughan looked at the air ticket handed over to her by a representative of Dubai based charity Dar Al Ber Society (Dabs). She is one of the 44 Ghanaian nationals who received free air tickets and a goodie bag by the Dabs on Thursday at a ceremony held at its headquarters in Dubai. The group - all from Ghana - were found sleeping at a park in Satwa when the Dabs was alerted of their plight. All 44 Ghanaians, including seven women, will fly out of Dubai International Airport today on a special repatriation flight by Emirates Airline. The Dabs has arranged a free Covid-19 test and two buses will transport them to the airport. The 44 Ghanaians are expected to land on their home soil Accra, Ghana at 1.35pm local time today.
In gesture of kindness, hospital waives expat's Dh762,000 bill
Help is always at hand in Dubai as an Indian expat realised recently. Indian national Rajesh Lingaiah Odnala contracted Covid-19 and had to be hospitalised for 80 days. By the time he was fit to be discharged, he had run up a bill of Dh762,000, an amount he couldn't afford to pay. The distressed 42-year-old man from Hyderabad was in for a pleasant surprise when Dubai Hospital decided to waive the entire amount after the Indian Consulate, which came to know of his plight, wrote to the hospital appealing for a bill waiver on humanitarian grounds. The hospital responded positively and discharged the patient without any charges. The consulate also arranged a free ticket for him on Air India Express and Rajesh flew home on July 14.
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