Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi has topped a list of 25 leading cities for their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was revealed on Tuesday.
Issued by London-based analytics consortium Deep Knowledge Group (DKG), the ranking is based on 50 parameters across five categories, including health care and economy.
The ranking demonstrates the wide-ranging impact of the emirate’s response to the pandemic. Abu Dhabi has led the world through its rapid and robust response system, protecting the health and safety of the community with proactive and stringent precautionary measures, while supporting the economy with stimulus packages that provided critical assistance to all sectors of the local economy.
Abu Dhabi was followed by Seoul, Sydney, Singapore, Ottawa and Berlin.
Low case load
Abu Dhabi’s robust response to the pandemic has ensured the city has maintained a low rate of positive cases, while adapting and scaling up health-care provisions to protect every member of the society. Within weeks, field hospitals, mass testing centres and screening facilities, including drive-through facilities, were established. New initiatives prioritised vulnerable groups, including providing free testing and health checks, distributing millions of free meals, providing health awareness programmes in multiple languages and mental health support.
Vaccine efforts
The city has led research and development, facilitated scientific discoveries to tackle the virus and collaborated in global efforts to find a vaccine, including leading the world’s first Phase III trials of an inactivated viral vaccine.
Abu Dhabi has played a key role in the UAE’s vaccination campaign, leading to more than half of the eligible UAE population already receiving a free vaccine.
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Giving hope
Abu Dhabi also established the Hope Consortium to coordinate the delivery of billions of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine around the world. The public-private consortium, led by the Department of Health — Abu Dhabi and with strategic partnerships, has provided global access to COVID-19 vaccines.
What was judged?
DKG ranked cities identified as having the most effective response to the pandemic. The cities were assessed on: Health-care management (efficient infrastructure, human competencies and efficient medical personnel, advanced tools, effectiveness of diagnostic systems, number of beds in healthcare facilities, and spending on the healthcare sector); efficient health quarantine systems (home quarantine scope and duration, economic support to quarantined people, travel guidelines and restrictions, legal action against home quarantine violators); vaccination rates (availability of the vaccine, vaccination rates per capita and home-vaccination services); government efficiency (monitoring systems, crisis management, trust in government and digital services); and resilience of the economy (incentive packages, exemptions, social support and credit rating).
