Frontline staff at an instant Covid-19 testing centre on the border between Dubai and Abu Dhabi are screening at least 6,000 people a day after an expansion helped cope with demand.
The Ghantoot site opened three weeks ago and was met with large crowds of commuters lining up to take the test. Tailbacks of vehicles stretched for more than 20 kilometres, forcing officials to implement an an online booking system.
Almost a month on, an expansion to improve capacity at the testing site now allows nearly 6,000 people to be tested every day with up to10,000 tested per day over Eid Al Adha.
The test is very quick [compared with] the PCR test that can take time to get a result
“We have been testing about 5,000 to 6,000 people a day but during Eid, that number went up closer to 10,000. It was a crazy time,” said
Dr Iqra Rafiq, a medic for Tamouh Healthcare that operates the centre.
The test costs Dh50 and is available at the Last Exit on the Sheikh Zayed Road before the Ghantoot checkpoint.
The results of the Diffractive Phase Interferometry test, or DPI, which detects viral presence in the blood, including Covid-19, are received in minutes via a text message.
“The test is very quick [compared with] the PCR test that can take time to get a result,” said Dr Rafiq.
“It is a sensitive test, so it can pick up minor infections, not just coronavirus.
“The test could pick up a common cold, for example, but it has a 90 per cent sensitivity to picking up Covid-19."
The facility was set up to allow commuters who require a negative Covid-19 test to enter Abu Dhabi.
Those with negative results can continue their journey to Abu Dhabi.
But people with a positive result must take a second PCR nasal swab test to rule out Covid-19.
The DPI test is not valid for travel outside UAE
Although the test is convenient for those travelling to Abu Dhabi from Dubai, it is not a recognised test for travel outside of the country.
Airline passengers must still take the more commonly used PCR (polymerase chain reaction) nasal swab and produce a negative result to be allowed on to flights out of the UAE.
“People who are negative can move across the border very quickly so it has been very beneficial to those working in Abu Dhabi,” said Dr Rafiq.
“If anyone has symptoms they should go to the nearest hospital rather than come here to be tested as it is not a coronavirus treatment facility.”
Inside the testing tent
On entering a vast screening tent the size of two football fields, visitors can join a queue in one of 12 lines to be processed after passing the now standard thermal imaging camera.
A temperature higher than 37°C could be an early symptom of Covid-19.
Administrators quickly attend to each visitor in the queue to process their Emirates ID and take a card payment. Passports and cash are not accepted.
After a short wait, visitors are then directed to one of 53 screening tables where a blood sample is taken via a finger prick.
That sample is placed inside a glass slide and inserted into a DPI machine where lasers search for signs of the virus.
A text message is then sent to notify the visitor if they can proceed with their journey or need to visit a second testing centre to complete a nasal swab to determine the presence of Covid-19.
Laser tests are only available to those over 10 and cannot be done on consecutive days.
“If you have booked an appointment online, it is a simple process,” said Salem Al Mansoori, a Tamouh Healthcare supervisor who processes new arrivals at the centre.
“We recommend everyone gets an appointment in advance as there is a lot of demand.”
Dubai Rugby Sevens, December 5 -7
World Sevens Series Pools
A – Fiji, France, Argentina, Japan
B – United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland
C – New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, Wales
D – South Africa, England, Spain, Kenya
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Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
Honeymoonish
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
The view from The National
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
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THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
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
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.