From the Editors: Delta variant spreading among children

New entry rules for Abu Dhabi comes as a huge relief for the vaccinated: The Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee on Thursday announced updated procedures to enter the emirate from within the UAE, for all vaccinated persons, which will be effective from Friday, August 20. According to the updated entry rules, those vaccinated and clinical trial volunteers can enter Abu Dhabi if they have a green pass and an active ‘E’ or ‘star’ icon on Al Hosn app. Moreover, once a vaccinated person or a clinical trial volunteer with a green pass and with an ‘E’ or ‘star’ icon on Al Hosn app enters the emirate, he or she will not be required to undergo any further test during the duration of his or her stay in Abu Dhabi. These new rules will help further streamline travel to Abu Dhabi from within the country and come as a huge relief for those who are already fully vaccinated. [COMMENT BY: Sanjib Kumar Das, Assistant Editor]

Disturbing trend: Delta spreading among children: The world is facing yet another big challenge. The Delta variant is dashing hopes for a return-to-normal school year in the US. Children are filling hospital beds instead of classrooms in record numbers across the US. The surging virus is spreading anxiety, turmoil and infighting among parents, administrators and politicians. The stats are staggering. More than 400 American children have died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. And almost 2,000 kids are now in US hospitals, many of them in ICU, some of them under the age of 4. The disturbing fact is adults who have not gotten their shots are contributing to the surge. In Australia, 45% of all active cases in Melbourne are in children and teenagers. Taking heed of US trends, several Indian states are building facilities with more paediatric beds, due to concern that children returning to school without being vaccinated will be among the most vulnerable during a third wave. The onus is on us. We all need to protect our children, [COMMENT BY: Stephen N.R., Senior Associate Editor]

New music is always welcome: Singer Ed Sheeran has ended his long break from music and announced that a new album is coming up soon. It will be titled ‘=,’ which is pronounced ‘Equals,’ and is set to release on October 29. Sheeran said his new album is “really personal” and comes after his marriage and the birth of their daughter. The singer’s journey has been amazing — from starting out in small venues and eventually selling out massive stadiums all over the world. His new album is sure to reinvigorate fans and others who enjoy his music. Amid the pandemic and other crises, we need all the joy we can get. [COMMENT BY: Jennifer Barretto, Assistant Editor - Features]

English Premier League trio De Bruyne, Kante and Jorginho up for Uefa award: Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne and Chelsea’s N'Golo Kante and Jorginho are in Uefa's three-man shortlist for the men's player of the year award which was own last season by Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski. This is first time in the 11-year history of the award that all the men's player nominees are midfielders. Jorginho and Kante had successful campaigns with the London club by winning the coveted Champions League against City who were crowned the English Premier League champions. It was an extra special season for Jorginho as he also went on to win the European Championship with Italy by beating England on penalties. The men's coach of the year nominees are Pep Guardiola, Thomas Tuchel and Italy boss Roberto Mancini. The winners are set to be named during the Champions League group stage draw in Istanbul on Thursday. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]