Authorities in the UAE are urging citizens and residents to holiday at home this National Day and Christmas amid soaring Covid-19 cases abroad.
Dr Farida Al Hosani, a government health spokeswoman, said travel was allowed but not advised, given the high rates of infections overseas.
There are plenty of opportunities to travel, with a public holiday coming up at the end of next week to celebrate National Day and a three-week winter break for schools in December.
“Covid-19 has not ended”, she said on Twitter on Wednesday.
“On the contrary, the increase in cases and deaths has returned in many countries due to poor vaccinations and negligence in procedures.
“Travelling is allowed, but travel with awareness and planning. Do not expose yourself and others to the complications of Covid-19 or the complications of the increase in cases that cause bans and closures. And don't fail to wear masks.”
She said people should stay in the UAE and enjoy its good weather instead.
“It is best to holiday inside the country and enjoy the beautiful weather and lovely places”, she said.
Europe is suffering from a deadly wave of new infections, leading some countries to reimpose strict restrictions to stem the spread of the virus.
This week Austria entered a lockdown. Germany has also experienced a surge in new cases, and the country's health minister has warned by the end of the winter “just about everyone in Germany will probably be either vaccinated, recovered or dead.”
In an Instagram post, Dr Farida said the decision on where to travel, if people still want to go abroad, should be made after an assessment of the Covid-19 situation in that country.
“Follow the news of this country. If there is a rise in the number of cases, I do not advise you to go. High cases may mean that this country will go through a period of instability and there may be decisions to close and ban. This will lead to other consequences,” she said.
“I do not advise you to travel to any country where there is any kind of ban, even if it is far from the areas to which you intend to travel.
“You must know that the instability of the cases in the country is a great danger and you must consider its consequences. Therefore, re-evaluate the situation and change the destination.”
She said other important factors to consider are:
- The health of the traveller. “Am I or a member of my family one of the groups who are most vulnerable to travel complications? If one of them falls into this category, I advise you to review your priorities,” she wrote.
- The purpose of travelling and the kind of events [to be attended]. “Leisure and tourism can be avoided because they are optional and can be postponed or replaced by better local destinations for the time being.”
Dr Farida’s advice came after the government said a third Covid-19 vaccine shot is necessary to protect “the well-being of residents” as countries across the globe are hit with new waves of infections.
A government spokesman at the weekly Covid-19 media briefing on Tuesday said new outbreaks were caused by low adherence to precautionary measures and a low uptake for vaccinations.
The UAE reached a milestone on Tuesday as the number of people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 exceeded 90 per cent of the population.
More than 99 per cent of people have received at least one dose.
The country’s high vaccination rate has caused the infection rate to plummet in recent weeks, with just 70 new cases of Covid-19 reported on Tuesday. No deaths were reported overnight for the eighth day in a row.
Christmas in the UAE — in pictures
Result
Arsenal 4
Monreal (51'), Ramsey (82'), Lacazette 85', 89')
West Ham United 1
Arnautovic (64')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Kandahar%20
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
SPECS
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Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHigh%20fever%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIntense%20pain%20behind%20your%20eyes%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESevere%20headache%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENausea%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVomiting%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESwollen%20glands%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERash%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIf%20symptoms%20occur%2C%20they%20usually%20last%20for%20two-seven%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
RESULTS
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EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
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