Coronavirus: UAE vaccinates over 3 mln people as infections surge rapidly
January 30, 2021, 11:23 am

Coronavirus: UAE vaccinates over 3 mln people as infections surge rapidly

A man receives a dose of a vaccine against the coronavirus, in Dubai. (Reuters)

More than 3 million people have been vaccinated against the coronavirus in the United Arab Emirates, as the country intensifies its vaccination campaign amid a surge of infections, the Ministry of Health and Prevention said on Friday.

“Crossing the 3 million mark amid an intensive nationwide vaccination campaign is yet a new significant milestone that has been achieved in record time to place the UAE among the world’s leaders of vaccine rollout, “ the Minister of Health and Prevention, Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser al-Owais, said.

Infections in the Gulf country have been rapidly rising in the past few weeks, with officials reporting more than 3,000 new cases per day.

A man receives a dose of a vaccine against the coronavirus at St. Paul's Church in Abu Dhabi. (Reuters)

On Thursday, the UAE recorded its highest single-day increase of COVID-19 cases with 3,966 new cases in 24 hours.

Officials have urged the public to take the vaccine and adhere to coronavirus countermeasures to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

“The rapid and effective rollout of the COVID vaccines is a testimony to the success of the National Vaccination Programme launched by the country to ensure the vaccine availability in most of the government and private health establishments and centers in order to make it easier for the largest segments of society, including Emiratis and residents, specially the elderly, people with chronic diseases and first-line heroes, with the ultimate goal of ensuring acquired immunity across the nation to help curb the disease and stem its fallout,” the minister added.

A woman gets tested before receiving a dose of a vaccine against the coronavirus at St. Paul's Church in Abu Dhabi. (Reuters)

The tourist-hub Dubai announced new updates to its travel requirements last week.

UAE residents, GCC citizens, and visitors will now be required to do a PCR test prior to their arrival in Dubai irrespective of the country they are coming from.

The city also introduced limits to social gatherings and suspended elective medical procedures, as well as ordered stricter measures to be imposed in restaurants and gyms.

Britain on Thursday announced a travel ban on non-citizens arriving from the UAE and severe quarantine measures for citizens coming in from there to stem coronavirus cases, hitting Dubai holidaymakers and expatriates.

source: Tamara Abueish

Image source: Reuters

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”