During a Covid-19 media briefing on Monday evening, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority announced the relaxation of a raft of safety measures.
The announcement moves us on to a very different footing although, as the virus has delivered many surprises over nearly three years and may well continue to do so, it probably does not mean that Covid-19 is over just yet – but we are getting much closer. The authority intimated as much, acknowledging that the current situation is stable but that the “pandemic is ongoing and the next phase will require community responsibility”.
NCEMA said on Monday that the mandate governing the use of face masks indoors would be relaxed except for in a few situations, such as on public transport, hospital visits and in places of worship. While this, of course, is the most visible, welcome and immediate change to our daily lives, the other measures are equally significant in their own ways.
The Covid-19 home quarantine period has been reduced to five days from 10 and close contacts are now asked to test as a precaution and then act accordingly.
The Al Hosn app will retain green status for 30 days following a negative test rather than 14 days, more than doubling the validity period of routine PCR testing regimes for vaccinated people. Unvaccinated community members also now have longer green status validity periods after testing. And finally, daily caseloads will no longer be reported by the authorities.
It is easy to understand why all this has happened now.
NCEMA said on Monday that “we are witnessing a recovery from the pandemic, as the situation is stable in the country, and cases are declining while deaths are nearly zero". Low cases and better outcomes equals a firm step in the better direction and, it seems, a future with fewer masks.
There has been a gradual change leading up to Monday’s welcome announcement
Average reported cases have been declining since reaching a recent peak in early July, vaccination rates are high and, more importantly, outcomes from positive tests have continued to improve as knowledge and understanding of the complexities of the virus has grown. The uncertain world of the earliest days of the pandemic has been replaced by the greater certainty and higher confidence of today.
There has, of course, been a gradual change leading up to Monday’s welcome announcement.
The outdoor face mask mandate was withdrawn in February, requirements for social distancing were reduced as capacity limits were increased at public venues, border controls were eased earlier this year, temporary drive-through testing centres have been packed away and protocols redrawn as the threat of the virus has declined. Under Monday’s announcement, “event organisers can decide on the precautionary measures to be applied, according to the situation".
The country’s considered approach to the pandemic has consistently placed it in the upper reaches of the Bloomberg Resilience Index and, today, puts it top of a nation brand performance league table that measures a number of metrics, including perception and performance.
No longer tracking those daily figures of infections and recoveries will be a hard habit to break for some, me included, given they have been a fixture of our lives for more than two years, although this type of data will still be shared on government websites.
Daily reporting also only offered a snapshot rather than giving deeper insights. Its absence will help balance our emotional reaction to the pandemic. Stress has often risen and fallen in the same way cases have ebbed and flowed since 2020. The recovery period should be far less visceral than the most intense periods of the pandemic.
The other obvious downside of publishing stats daily is that they offer a lagging picture of where the progress of the virus is and are focused on infections, not outcomes.
Many of the precautionary measures that were introduced at the start of the pandemic were put in place to prevent the healthcare system being overwhelmed with hospitalisations. That they were not overrun is testament to the broader strength of the healthcare architecture and Covid-19 response, but raw numbers do not capture that positive reality.
The final step in the broader recovery journey may be to replace routine testing with the ability to only test when needed, such as is if a citizen or resident felt unwell or was presenting with Covid-19 symptoms and wanted to check if they were infected.
Some of the keynotes of the NCEMA briefing indicated that social responsibility will be key in the next phase and a further movement towards home tests or self-certification of testing would be consistent with that.
NCEMA reminded listeners and viewers on Monday that the first positive case was identified in the UAE during the final days of January 2020, so it has been a long haul. And as we approach the finish line of the pandemic, there is also profound awareness of what it has left behind – including generational health and well-being challenges, such as burnout, anxiety and long Covid – which will require prudent and responsible management. That, perhaps, will be one of the greatest challenges of the next phase, but it should not lessen the sense that Monday marked a clear and welcome step towards our collective future.
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MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Federer's 19 grand slam titles
Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal
French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling
Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic
US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Stage result
1. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 3:29.09
2. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto-Soudal
3. Rudy Barbier (FRA) Israel Start-Up Nation
4. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Luka Mezgec (SLO) Mitchelton-Scott
6. Alberto Dainese (ITA) Sunweb
7. Jakub Mareczko (ITA) CCC
8. Max Walscheid (GER) NTT
9. José Rojas (ESP) Movistar
10. Andrea Vendrame (ITA) Ag2r La Mondiale, all at same time
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
More on animal trafficking
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
SPECS
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The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.
Stage 2 results
1 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal 04:18:18
2 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:02
3 Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 00:00:04
4 Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates
5 Rick Zabel (GER) Israel Start-Up Nation
General Classification
1 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal 07:47:19
2 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:12
3 Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 00:00:16
4 Nikolai Cherkasov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:17
5 Alexey Lutsensko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 00:00:19
MATCH INFO
Championship play-offs, second legs:
Aston Villa 0
Middlesbrough 0
(Aston Villa advance 1-0 on aggregate)
Fulham 2
Sessegnon (47'), Odoi (66')
Derby County 0
(Fulham advance 2-1 on aggregate)
Final
Saturday, May 26, Wembley. Kick off 8pm (UAE)
RESULTS
6pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $40,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: AF Alajaj, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
6.35pm: Race of Future – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (Turf) 2,410m
Winner: Global Storm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Azure Coast, Antonio Fresu, Pavel Vashchenko
7.45pm: Business Bay Challenge – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Storm Damage, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
20.20pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed (TB) $100,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Appreciated, Fernando Jara, Doug O’Neill
8.55pm: Singspiel Stakes – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O'Meara
9.30pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Meraas, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
