Heading into another autumn of living with the pandemic and as countries across the world are opening up, the UAE is starting to see a distinct return on investment: the past few months' accelerated vaccination drive has begun to pay off.
After a plateau period, Covid-19 cases in the Emirates over the past fortnight have plummeted. The cause and effect are clear: 76 per cent of the UAE's population has been fully vaccinated and 87 per cent has received at least one vaccine dose. The dip in infections also makes apparent the progress that has been made from where we were last year this time. Given the handle the UAE has on the coronavirus, there is reason to be optimistic about the future. A Lancet study has revealed that for adults who've been fully vaccinated, chances of long Covid dropped by half. On Thursday, authorities in Abu Dhabi announced that vaccinated travellers arriving in the emirate from all destinations worldwide would no longer be required to quarantine.
“The UAE has succeeded in reaching the recovery stage,” Dr Farida Al Hosani, health spokeswoman for the federal government said this week. “Two years have passed since the break out of Covid-19 pandemic. We are back to the workplace and our children and all students are back to schools and universities. We are now at full capacity in our economy.”
It has been said before but it bears repetition: the world becomes safer when more people are vaccinated. Ursula von Der Leyen, the president of the European Union's executive arm said the 27-nation bloc has reached its goal of getting 70 per cent of the adults in the EU fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by the end of the summer. It has taken health workers and global authorities a lot of work to reach that position.
Here in the UAE, to maintain the country's comfortable lead, people are advised to follow-up on their jabs and take their booster shots at the earliest opportunity. Abu Dhabi has said that people who received the Sinopharm vaccine more than six months ago need to take their booster shots by September 20, or else face some restrictions to enter public places.
In Dubai, a third dose of the vaccine has also been advised for people suffering from chronic conditions. Those ailing from, say, immune diseases have been advised to check with their doctors to see if they needed a booster of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.
Booster shots will become necessary to ensure the world at large is safer in the coming months. Other countries are on track as well. France this week started administering booster shots to people over 65 and those with underlying health conditions to add to their vaccine protection.
These measures are for the greater good and stem from the best scientific knowledge. There is every reason to safeguard ourselves and our communities. Last year this time the delta variant was not a household phrase. Similarly, we cannot know of mutations that could be pervasive in the future. The World Health Organisation is already monitoring a new variant known as "mu" – identified first in Colombia nine months ago. Given the speed and unpredictability of viruses, there is common sense in being inoculated against all such possible threats.
The benefits of vaccines have been written about continuously over the past year, also in these pages. To a large extent, safety boils down to individual responsibility. We need to continue sanitisation, wearing masks when required and ensure that not only are we ourselves in the best of health – with the Al Hosn app on our devices reflecting a reassuring green status – but that by being up to date with our jabs, we have the moral right to espouse scientific facts to anti-vaxxers in our extended circles and help them rethink their stance. Doing so would be in all our best interests.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)
Delhi won the match by 11 runs
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 720hp
Torque: 770Nm
Price: Dh1,100,000
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Roll of honour: Who won what in 2018/19?
West Asia Premiership: Winners – Bahrain; Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership: Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Winners – Dubai Hurricanes; Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Conference: Winners – Dubai Tigers; Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
