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From a high of nearly 4,000 daily Covid-19 cases in the first month of 2021 to less than 50 in the last, the UAE has come a long way in its fight against Covid-19.
A robust vaccination campaign rolled out for free across the country for both Emiratis and expats has seen 100 per cent of eligible residents get at least one dose of a jab. This, along with proactive mass Covid testing and strict safety rules, has helped the country tide over the pandemic, including managing more infectious Covid-19 strains like Delta and Omicron.
Authorities in the country took every measure necessary — borders were closed; schools and offices went online; and stay-home orders issued — to protect the residents.
Here, we chronicle the key milestones in the UAE’s fight against the coronavirus:
A four-member Chinese family was infected with the coronavirus. Back then, it was referred to as 2019-nCoV virus.
A 73-year-old woman from China recovered after undergoing treatment at a UAE hospital. Liu Yujia credited authorities in the UAE for her swift recovery.
All schools and education institutes in the UAE were ordered to shut down and classes went online. Initially, the shutdown was for four weeks, but it was extended.
Mosques and places of worship were ordered shut to prevent gatherings. They remained shut for months, and the faithful offered their prayers with their loved ones at home.
The UAE suspended the entry of travellers to the country to shut out the virus.
Authorities across the country urged residents to stay home as a nation-wide sterilisation programme was announced. Only essential workers and those who needed to buy food and medicines were allowed to step out of their homes. Residents needed to take permits from the police to get out of their homes.
After months of staying home, residents were allowed to travel freely across the country at any time of the day.
Places of worship reopened 107 days after they were closed to keep the faithful safe from the spread of Covid-19.
The world’s top tourist destination, Dubai, reopened to visitors with strict Covid safety measures. Reflecting its famed hospitality even amid a pandemic, Dubai welcomed travellers with special stickers on passports that read: 'A warm welcome to your second home.'
Some schools began offering hybrid learning — which saw some students return to campus, while others learned from home.
UAE was among the first countries to approve a Covid-19 vaccine, when in September it began vaccinating frontline workers. This came a month after the UAE government launched the world’s first phase III clinical trial of a Covid-19 inactivated vaccine.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, received a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on November 3. “We appreciate the efforts of the teams that worked hard to make our country one of the first to receive the vaccine for this virus. The future is always better and more beautiful in the United Arab Emirates,” Sheikh Mohammed had posted on Twitter as he shared a photo of him receiving the jab.
This came after the vaccine recorded a 95 per cent efficacy rate.
Back in January this year, the UAE hit its highest tally of daily cases, when it registered 3,966 cases.
Thousands of Muslims flocked to mosques and open-air spaces called musallahs to offer the first socially distanced Eid prayers.
Daily cases dipped despite the long Eid Al Adha break and the Delta variant threat. It marked the first time that cases dipped after residents came out of a long break.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said that the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic is over. This came as he chaired a Cabinet meeting. “The UAE worked as one team during the pandemic, making the country among the best globally in the fight against Covid-19,” he said.
A convoy of police patrols with their sirens flashing led civilian vehicles as the UAE Capital removed checkpoints on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai border. This came after Abu Dhabi eased rules to enter the Emirate after nearly a year.
As daily Covid-19 cases dipped below 200, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said life was returning to normal.
The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention said that the results of clinical studies indicated that the vaccine is “safe” and has actually given a “strong” immune response to children between the age of 5 and 11 years.
Schools in Dubai went out of their way to make returning students feel comfortable. One school welcomed kids back with a Bhangra dance, a traditional Indian folk dance. Schools across the country will return to full capacity from January 2022.
The UAE is the most vaccinated country on earth. As of December 6, close to 91 per cent of eligible UAE residents are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
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