From the Editors: UAE frontliners answer the call of duty on Eid

THE SPIRIT OF SACRIFICE, THE CALL OF DUTY: As the UAE and the rest of the world celebrate Eid Al Adha, there are thousands of people all across the globe for whom it’s business as usual – just like it usually is for many people during any public holiday, for that matter. So far as the UAE is concerned, there are people who have left the comforts of their homes and their families and loved ones behind to make sure they are alert at work so that the rest of us can enjoy smooth and seamless access to all essential public services and utilities all across the country during this long break. From that taxi driver to the lady at the hypermarket till; from that doctor or nurse at the hospital to the policeman on duty at the control room or on the roads; from that municipality worker involved in sanitising our parks and public places to that officer at the airport Passport Control counter … the list is long – of people who keep sacrificing their holidays so that the rest of the country and society can have their share of fun and happiness. On this Eid, let us salute those workers and employees all over the UAE and beyond who are once again making sure that we are safe, secure and happy among our loved ones – while they are at work. [COMMENT BY: Sanjib Kumar Das, Assistant Editor]

INDIA MUST CONTINUE TO BE VIGILANT, BOOST VACCINATION DRIVE: Two-thirds of India’s population have antibodies against COVID-19, a survey of 29,000 people across the nation conducted in June and July has revealed. It means 400 million of the country’s 1.4 billion people did not have antibodies, i.e. one out of three is still vulnerable. The fourth national blood serum survey, which tests for antibodies, included 8,691 children aged 6-17 years for the first time. Half of them were seropositive. The survey showed 67.6% of adults were seropositive, while more than 62% of adults were unvaccinated. As of July, just over 8% of eligible adults had been inoculated. Though daily cases have fallen to four-month lows, the danger of new outbreaks is very much there. Therefore, societal, public, religious and political congregations should be avoided and, at the same time, step up the vaccination campaign. [COMMENT BY’ Stephen N R, Senior Associate Editor]

TIME FOR TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS TO TAKE PLUNGE: We are only two days from the official opening ceremony for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Softball games have already begun and both the baseball and football tournaments get under way later on Wednesday. However, we are still under a shroud of uncertainty as to whether these Games will ever reach a successful conclusion — or even fully get going. On Tuesday, the head of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, Toshiro Muto, refused to rule out the cancellation of the Olympics amid rising COVID-19 cases. “We will continue discussions if there is a spike in cases,” Muto said when asked if the Games might be cancelled even at this late stage. “We will think about what we should do when the situation arises.” Surely we are past the point of no return and the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games should see it out if there is no life-endangering threats, or risk of infections spreading to the general public. The total number of Games-related COVID-19 infections has risen to 67. While this is relatively low, there are concerns in Japan, where vaccinations are still below 30 per cent. [COMMENT BY: Matthew Smith, Sports Editor]

AN UN-BOLLYWOOD WEDDING: Actress Yami Gautam has finally shared details about her surprise wedding to director Aditya Dhar in June, and explained why she decided to do it very differently compared to other Bollywood nuptials. Gautam said in an interview that the wedding had just 20 attendees, and that she chose to get married this way to reduce food wastage and stick to COVID-19 protocols. More and more people are going the simpler route for their weddings, partly due to the pandemic, and it seems that it’s taking the pressure off of couples to please others for the sake of cultural norms. Weddings don’t always need to be lavish and expensive, and maybe Gautam’s choice will inspire others to keep it simple. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor – Features]