Filipina domestic worker Haydee has wanted to get vaccinated against Covid-19 for months, but when she went to a Beirut hospital, the staff turned her away because her work permit had expired.
When she heard that a vaccination marathon dedicated to foreign workers was taking place in Beirut, she rushed to stand in line at the inoculation centre at 7am.
This is about access to vaccines as a basic human right
Mona Imad,
Doctors Without Borders
“Even if I have to stand in the sun all day, I am staying until I get vaccinated,” the 41-year-old told The National at about 10.30am.
She is one of hundreds of foreigners to line the street and pack the car park near La Sagesse in Beirut, a school turned into a makeshift vaccination centre.
Doctors Without Borders, the UN and the Ministry of Public Health organised a three-day vaccination marathon in the school grounds, the first to be wholly dedicated to migrant workers.
They are among Lebanon’s most vulnerable communities, yet many have had limited access to coronavirus inoculation, NGO workers told The National.
The idea is to provide foreign workers, many of whom live in difficult conditions, with equal access to vaccinations, said Mona Imad, a co-ordinator for Doctors Without Borders’ Covid-19 response.
“In most hospitals official IDs are required. Here migrant workers can access the vaccine regardless of what type of document they provide,” she said.
Haydee and her friend Aileen take turns to stand in the shade of an umbrella as men in line next to them complain to a local volunteer about the long queues.
The women and men at the vaccination centre hail mostly from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Sudan. Migrant workers have seen their living conditions deteriorate since Lebanon's economic crisis began nearly two years ago.
“Migrants are one of the most vulnerable communities in Lebanon and they are not systematically included in the national Covid-19 response,” Ms Imad said.
Electricity cuts and shortages of medicines have weighed heavily on Lebanese hospitals and health experts have warned that hospitals cannot absorb another wave of Covid-19 patients.
“If you are vaccinated you are less likely to go to hospital,” Ms Imad said, “and we all know the dire situation in hospitals right now.”
Many Lebanese employers have dismissed foreign staff amid the crisis, leaving some to sleep in front of their embassies in Beirut while they try to get a flight home.
Nearly 700 people got their first vaccine dose as part of the marathon on Tuesday and Ms Imad said they hope to vaccinate even more people on Wednesday.
“This is about access to vaccines as a basic human right,” she said.
Lebanon launched its official inoculation campaign in February, and more than two million people have received at least one Covid-19 shot in the six million-strong country.
Vaccination is open to Lebanese, foreigners and refugees but identification papers or a residency permit have been required to register for the jab.
Farah El Baba of the Anti-Racism Movement said that local NGOs and the UN have advocated for this requirement to be lifted for months.
In the waiting area of the vaccination centre, Nour Al Nahr from Sri Lanka beamed with joy after a nurse administered her first shot.
The 39-year-old mother, clad in a traditional Sri Lankan dress with a red and golden translucent veil draped around her shoulders, sang to calm down the two babies in her arms.
“Today I am well, but tomorrow, who knows?” she said.
“I’m glad I finally got my shot — now I have peace of mind.”
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Mane 51', Salah 53'
Chelsea 0
Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
John Cena v Triple H
Matches to be announced
WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended
South Africa World Cup squad
South Africa: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (w), JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Rassie van der Dussen.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RESULT
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 1:39:46.713
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 00:00.908
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 00:12.462
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 00:12.885
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 00:13.276
6. Fernando Alonso, McLaren 01:11.223
7. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, Force India 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, Force India 1 lap
10. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren 1 lap
11. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso 1 lap
12. Jolyon Palmer, Renault 1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas 1 lap
14. Lance Stroll, Williams 1 lap
15. Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber 2 laps
16. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber 2 laps
17r. Nico Huelkenberg, Renault 3 laps
r. Paul Di Resta, Williams 10 laps
r. Romain Grosjean, Haas 50 laps
r. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 70 laps
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
