Vaccine exemption for 7 categories in UAE; Eid Al Fitr begins tomorrow

ABU DHABI: The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) has highlighted the importance of vaccination as an effective instrument in the batle against the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as new variants continue to emerge.

The Shawwal crescent was not sighted in the UAE on Tuesday and therefore, Wednesday, May 12, will be the last day of the Holy Month of Ramadan, and the first day of Eid Al Fitr will be on Thursday, according to the UAE Moon Sighting Commitee.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said it is continuing its efforts to vaccinate all target segments of society, to boost their immunity and prevent further infections.

The ministry identified seven categories, namely active cases infected with COVID-19, volunteers in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, pregnant women, people vaccinated outside of the country, people who have previously contracted COVID-19 following a medical assessment, people who have severe allergies to vaccines or vaccine ingredients, and people with diseases proven to interact negatively with the vaccine.

The ministry stressed that exempt categories should present an exemption certificate issued by accredited health centres, clinics and hospitals, and an atending physician will assess the request and submit a medical report to relevant health authorities for approval. The applicant will then be informed via SMS on whether their application is approved or not, and exemptions will appear on the Al Hosn app.

Meanwhile, the ministry registered 1,614 new coronavirus cases and two deaths in the UAE. MOHAP also noted that an additional 1,600 individuals had fully recovered from COVID-19.

The ministry of health announced that 86,996 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered during the past 24 hours.

Lieutenant-general Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-chief of Dubai Police, urged the public to abide by the precautionary measures against COVID-19 during the Eid holidays when visiting tourist places, beaches and commercial centres, as well as to practice social distancing and wear masks when in public.

90% POSITIVITY: Close to 90 per cent of India is witnessing a high COVID-19 positivity rate as 640 districts out of the 734 are above the national threshold level of 5 per cent positivity rate, the centre said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not atend the G7 Summit in the UK in person, the Indian government said Tuesday, as the country reels from a massive wave of coronavirus cases.

Bodies floating in Ganges River: Scores of bodies are washing up on the banks of the Ganges as Indians fail to keep pace with the deaths and cremations of around 4,000 people a day from the novel coronavirus.

Rural parts of India not only have more rudimentary healthcare, but are now also running short of wood for traditional Hindu cremations.

Authorities said on Tuesday they were investigating the discovery of scores of bodies found floating down the Ganges in two separate states. “As of now it is very difficult for us to say where these dead bodies have come from,” said M P Singh, the top government official in Ghazipur district, in Utar Pradesh.

Even in the capital, New Delhi, many COVID victims are abandoned by their relatives ater cremation, leaving volunteers to wash the ashes, pray over them, and then take them to scater into the river in the holy city of Haridwar, 180km away.

The seven-day average of daily infections hit a record 390,995 on Tuesday, with 3,876 deaths, according to the health ministry. Official COVID-19 deaths, which experts say are almost certainly under-reported, stand at just under a quarter of a million.

FAKE PCR TESTS: The Civil Aviation Authority ( CAA) has noted with grave concern that passengers travelling to Pakistan from some countries have tested positive for the coronavirus upon arrival despite being in possession of negative PCR test results.

“Upon conducting an investigation into the issue, it has been found that passengers travelled to Pakistan using fake PCR negative test results and endangered not only passengers travelling with them, but also undermined the intense efforts being made at the national level to curb the spread of COVID-19,” the CAA said in a notification.

PFIZER GETS NOD FOR KIDS: The United States drug regulator authorises the Pfizer-biontech vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 as the country aims to speed up its pandemic recovery.

The head of the European Medicines Agency says the same jab could be approved in the EU for 12- to 15-year-olds soon, perhaps as early as this month.

EU SUES ASTRAZENECA: Brussels is suing the British-swedish pharma giant to force it to deliver the 90 million vaccine doses it promised the bloc before July.

OLYMPICS DOUBT: Japanese tennis superstar Naomi Osaka admits she is “not really sure” the Tokyo Olympics should go ahead as doubts grow about the pandemic-hit Games just weeks before the opening ceremony.