Dubai extends precautionary steps over virus till Ramadan
Dubai’s Supreme Commitee of Crisis and Disaster Management, headed by Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced that the COVID-19 precautionary measures introduced in the beginning of February will be extended until the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan in mid-april.
The decision is based on an evaluation of the evolving COVID-19 situation, data showing the effectiveness of intensified safety measures and the recommendations of frontline authorities.
The Commitee praised the pace of the COVID-19 vaccination drive in Dubai and the UAE.
As on Feb.26, nearly 6 million vaccine doses and over 30 million tests have already been administered in the UAE.
The country has one of the highest vaccination and testing rates globally. Precautionary measures that will be extended until the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan include:
Indoor venues, including cinemas and entertainment and sports venues, will continue to operate at 50% of maximum capacity. Visitors allowed in shopping malls, and guests in hotel establishments will be limited to 70%. Restaurants and cafes will be required to close by 1:00am. Pubs and bars will remain closed.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention recorded 3,498 new coronavirus cases on Friday. In addition to the new cases, 2,478 individuals have recovered and 16 people passed away.
Bowing to protests from expatriate community, Kerala government decided to make the mandatory RT-PCR COVID-19 test free for all international passengers, including the UAE, arriving at airports. Minister for Health KK Shailaja announced the decision in Trivandrum on Friday. The state government will conduct the test for free and send the results to the people by SMS without any delay.
Shailaja pleaded helplessness in waiving a second test, and said the state is doing what it can by deciding to make it free for air passengers arriving at Kerala airports.
India has made RT-PCR negative certificate, obtained within 72 hours, mandatory for people belonging to all age groups including children who are entering the country.
India’s Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday extended the prevailing restrictions for surveillance, containment and caution against the spread of COVID-19 till the end of March. The restrictions were to have expired at midnight on Feb.28.
“There is need to maintain surveillance, containment and caution so as to fully overcome the pandemic. States and Union Territories have also been advised to speed up the vaccination of the target population so as to break the chain of transmission and overcome the pandemic,” the ministry’s guidelines for the coming month said.
More than 112.79 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 2,606,272 have died, according to a Reuters tally on Friday.
Vaccines are mandatory for members of the 150,000-strong Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), who have no choice but to get their inoculation shots from the Chinese manufacturer Sinovac whose 600,000 doses are to arrive on Sunday, according to a top military officer.
“To get vaccinated or not is not an option for members of the AFP. They need to be vaccinated so they won’t be a burden or add to the problem,” Major General Edgard Arevalo, the military spokesman, told an online media briefing.
A single dose of Pfizer and Biontech’s COVID-19 vaccine cuts the number of asymptomatic infections and could significantly reduce the risk of transmission of the virus, results of a UK study found on Friday.
Researchers analysed results from thousands of COVID-19 tests carried out each week as part of hospital screenings of healthcare staff in Cambridge, eastern England.
“Our findings show a dramatic reduction in the rate of positive screening tests among asymptomatic healthcare workers ater a single dose of the Pfizer-biontech vaccine,” said Nick Jones, an infectious diseases specialist at Cambridge University Hospital, who co-led the study.
Countries seeking their own vaccine doses are making deals with drug companies that threaten the supply for the global COVAX programme for poor and middle-income countries, the World Health Organisation said on Friday.
“Now countries are still pursuing deals that will compromisethecovaxsupply,”whosenioradviser Bruce Aylward told a briefing. “Without a doubt.”
UAE reports 3,498 new cases, 16 deaths; Kerala makes PCR tests free for travellers from UAE at airports; global cases cross 112m; India extends virus curbs till end of March; Pfizer vaccine reduces risk of transmission after one dose: Study.