Dubai plans to vaccinate all qualifying adults by the end of the year, using a combination of shots and movement controls to keep the coronavirus at bay. According to Amer Sharif, the head of Dubai’s Covid-19 Command and Control Centre, “we are preparing for 100 percent of qualifying adults by the end of the fourth quarter of this year.” Since November, the number of regular cases in the United Arab Emirates, of which Dubai is a member, has quadrupled as the country has liberalized travel and eased movement restrictions.

Dubai had to reintroduce hotel and air travel restrictions because of the surge, and the emirate’s top health official was replaced last month. A representative from Dubai’s tourism department criticized the lack of enforcement that has resulted in a rise in cases but claimed that the city is positive about its potential growth prospects. Although the number of cases has risen in recent months, the nation has also introduced an ambitious immunization program. It has given out over 4.2 million vaccine doses to a population of around 10 million people, making it one of the highest vaccination rates per 100 people in the world. “The main strategy for the country is that we make available to the people whatever vaccines have been undergoing clinical trials, while also working with various organizations to improve this industry,” Sharif said. Pfizer Inc., BioNTech SE, and Sinopharm of China have all produced shots that have been approved by the UAE.

Source: Bloomberg