Several parts of the world are experiencing a spike in Covid-19 cases. From countries in Europe to Asia, infections are on the rise yet again.
The latest uptick has been put down to the original omicron variant BA.1 and the newer variants BA.4 and BA.5.
In recent days authorities in the EU have pointed at rise in positivity rates and hospitalisations with Covid-19.
While the US has dropped Coronavirus testing requirement for travellers, cases have plateaued in the world’s biggest economy at around 100,000 new daily infections. This is much higher than previous lulls in the US.
India recorded a big jump of over 12,000 daily Covid-19 cases this week for the first time in more than a 100 days as infections spiked across the country again.
Given the sharp increase in cases, authorities in the UAE have tightened the regulation around Covid-19. Under new rules, heavy penalties will be imposed on those not wearing masks in all indoor places.
“We are witnessing a significant increase in Covid-19 infections in the country by more than 100 per cent in less than a week. It was also noted that the rate of hospitalisation has increased,” Dr Taher Al Buraik Al Amiri, official spokesman for the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA), noted a few days ago.
Under new Covid-19 rules in the UAE, the validity of the Green Pass on the UAE’s official Alhosn app has been reduced to 14 days from 30 days.
The UAE recorded 1,464 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, as daily infections continue to show a rise. A total of 1,401 people recovered in the latest 24-hour period. Two Coronavirus-related deaths were confirmed in the UAE.
Let us be clear here. The fight against Covid-19 is a long-drawn one and the past two years have taught us a lot of lessons.
As a society and community, our guard needs to be up at all times. Complacency has no scope in a situation, where waves of infection come and go as the pandemic still lurks.
Does this mean that we limit our daily routine? The answer is no. The solution lies in opting for maximum caution — masking up at all times in public and office spaces; sanitising our hands as much as possible and watching out for any symptoms.
The fight against Covid is on. We simply need to hold tight, cooperate with authorities and get to the finish line.
