COVID-19: Be fully vaccinated before travel, Dubai crisis management body advises travellers

Dubai: Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management has encouraged citizens and residents in the country to be fully vaccinated before they travel abroad.

Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum today chaired a meeting of the committee to review the precautionary measures being implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19 against the background of the evolving global situation in which new highly-transmissible variants of the virus are raising the risks of infection.

With the holiday season round the corner, the committee has urged citizens and residents planning to travel abroad to commence their overseas journeys only 14 days after receiving the second dose of the vaccine, which allows sufficient time for the body to maximise its immune preparedness.

Dubai ranked highest for vaccines per 100 people

Emphasising that vaccination is the most important tool of protection against COVID-19, the Supreme Committee said it was encouraged by the fact that the UAE was ranked the highest in the world for vaccine doses distributed per 100 persons. The country’s National Vaccination Campaign has so far administered more than 15 million vaccine doses, with its distribution rate reaching 152.41 doses for every 100 persons.

The committee has advised travellers to observe utmost caution when travelling overseas and avoid visiting places that are experiencing a severe outbreak of COVID-19. The committee also advised travellers to thoroughly understand and fully abide by the precautionary protocols of their destination countries to avoid infection risks.

Minimising infection risks

Observing meticulous hygiene and strict precautionary measures, including social distancing and wearing of mask while travelling and spending time in public places, is essential to minimise infection risks, it stressed. Avoiding crowded areas and potential exposure to infected people is also vital to ensure the lowest possible risk of infection, the committee added.

The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management noted that despite the current global situation, Dubai continues to be at the forefront of cities maintaining the highest levels of protection against the pandemic. The city has one of the world’s most rigorous globally-benchmarked precautionary protocol regimes, enabling it to provide exceptional safety benchmarks for the benefit of citizens, residents and visitors.