UAE Covid-19 vaccine: Dubai residents queue up to get jab

Dubai - Road leading to Dubai Parks and Resorts field hospital near Jebel Ali saw a huge queue of vehicles.

By Saman Haziq

Published: Sat 12 Dec 2020, 4:47 PM

Last updated: Sat 12 Dec 2020, 4:52 PM

Residents of Dubai came out in huge numbers on Saturday to get their Covid-19 vaccine shots. The road leading to Dubai Parks and Resorts field hospital near Jebel Ali saw a huge queue of vehicles as residents rushed to get their first shot of the newly registered Sinopharm vaccine.

Hundreds of residents waited patiently for hours in their vehicles as Dubai Police officers guided them to the hospital in batches. About 40 vehicles were allowed in each batch.

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The eagerness of residents to get vaccinated against the deadly virus was visible, as some even got out of their vehicles to interact with other motorists — from a safe social distance.

One resident had to wait for three hours to get his jab. Briton A.J. said: “I don’t mind the wait as I know it will be worth it. This is the moment the whole world has been waiting for, so a few hours more is no big deal.”

Although the opening hours of the field hospital to administer the vaccine are 10am-4pm, residents began queueing up from as early as 7am.

Another resident, Indian expat R.L., said he had been waiting for two hours to get the jab. “My wife and I are happy to wait ... We have been playing it safe and adopted all possible safety measures to steer clear of this deadly virus. We are hoping that today’s Covid shot will give us the immunity and security that we have been waiting for.

“Residents coming out in large numbers will bring us closer to reaching herd immunity, which will help stop the spread of the virus. It is a pleasant wait for us today. In fact, we have made new friends here while waiting as we had a lot of time to chat. The weather is pleasant, too.”