Life back on the streets of Dubai amid COVID-19
A street market in Dubai. Life is steadily returning to normal amid COVID-19. Image Credit: Anas Thacharpadikkal/Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has been witnessing a drop in the number of COVID-19 infections, which confirms the success of the UAE’s strategy on dealing with the pandemic.

“We have witnessed a decrease in the number of cases, which confirms the success of the UAE’s strategy to deal with the crisis, where measures are taken based on the developments, reflecting the high flexibility and adaptation which is required due to the nature of the pandemic,” Dr. Taher Al Amiri, official spokesman for the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, said during the weekly media briefing on Tuesday.

He said that 77.91 per cent of the UAE’s population received the first shot of COVID-19 vaccine, while 69.35 per cent received both doses of the vaccine. The decrease in cases has been met with the gradual return to normal life and the return of economic and tourism activities, as well as the return of employees to their offices, Al Amiri said.

Travel protocols

The authority urged travellers to abide by travel protocols to ensure their safety. Travelling to green-list countries require travellers to adhere to precautionary measures and getting health insurance as stipulated by the World Health Organisation.

Al Amiri said that the UAE is one of the best safe tourist destinations, as “we have witnessed a demand for tourism in the country due to adoption of a package of precautionary and preventive measures that ensure everyone spends a special time in the country in a safe environment, thus enhancing its reputation and position among the best tourist destinations around the world”.

UAE aid

Al Amiri revealed that the UAE’s aid constituted 80 per cent of the total international aid to troubled countries during the pandemic. More than 2,154 tonnes of medical aid supplies, including respiratory devices, examination devices, personal protective equipment were dispatched to 135 countries around the world. A total of 117 countries received aid from international organisation’s warehouses in Dubai International Humanitarian City.