Coronavirus bulletin from UAE: 462 new cases announced; Covid test must for repatriation; new e-clinic launched; 2,000 Indians to leave in a week

A round-up of major developments related to Covid-19 across the country.

Here's a round-up of all the latest developments you need to be aware of:
Sheikh Khalifa's message for citizens, residents on 44th Armed Forces' Unification Day

Marking the 44th UAE Armed Forces' Unification Day, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has noted the efforts carried out by the UAE Armed Forces, civil defence teams and medical professionals in curbing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking to 'Nation Shield', the UAE military journal, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed said that the Covid-19 pandemic, despite its high cost and losses, has proven to be a successful test for the UAE's institutional structures. "It has revealed the levels of quality and efficiency of our healthcare systems, which have demonstrated our readiness to address emergencies and crises," His Highness asserted.
Sheikh Mohammed talks of challenges, perseverance, global cooperation on UAE's historic day

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has said that as the country and the world face testing times during the coronavirus pandemic, the 44th anniversary of the UAE Armed Forces' Unification Day comes as a reminder of this nation's "perseverance" and "ability to overcome challenges." In a statement to the UAE's military journal, 'Nation Shield,' on the occasion, which is observed on May 6 every year, Sheikh Mohammed said, "Today, as we face unprecedented testing times - as is the entire world - the memory of the unification of our armed forces comes to strengthen our belief in our ability to move forward and in successfully overcoming this test."
UAE announces 462 new cases, 187 recoveries, 9 deaths

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Tuesday announced 462 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus. The ministry also confirmed 187 cases of recovery, and nine deaths. More than 28,000 new tests have also been carried out in the country, the ministry said. With this, the total number of cases in the country now stands at 15,192, recoveries stand at 3,153, and deaths total 146. Even as UAE continues to announce Covid-19 cases on a daily basis, the sliver lining is that recoveries have doubled in less than a fortnight. The UAE doubled its tally of recovered patients on Monday, May 4, after registering 203 new recoveries, its highest tally so far since the first case of Covid-19 was announced in the country on January 29. This comes after UAE announced the implementation of a breakthrough new stem cell therapy.
Employers in UAE must bear repatriation cost of terminated employees

An employer is responsible for bearing the cost of repatriating an employee upon termination of contract in the UAE, a legal expert has said. Many expats have recently faced job losses due to the impact of Covid-19 on the economy and they wish to leave for good through special evacuation flights. In such cases of termination of job contract, the provisions of the Federal Law number 8 of 1980 states the repatriation expenses of an employee shall generally be borne by the employer, said Ashish Mehta, founder and managing partner, Ashish Mehta & Associates. "According to Article 131 of the Employment Law, the employer shall, upon the termination of the contract, bear the expenses of repatriation of an employee to the location from which he is hired, or to any other location agreed upon between the parties."
Returning Indians to pay for air travel, quarantine facilities

Stranded Indians returning home are to bear the cost of travel as well as the price for staying in a government-arranged 14-day quarantine facility, the Government of India announced on Tuesday. Furthermore, they should test negative for the Covid-19 coronavirus. All stranded Indian citizens returning home have to undergo a mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine upon arrival in India, at their own cost, according to a standard operating procedure (SOP) document released by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The cost of travel, as specified by Civil Aviation Ministry will be borne by travellers. "At the time of boarding the flight, MoCA will ensure all travellers undergo thermal screening. Only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to board," said the Ministry of Home Afffairs.
How much will tickets on UAE-India repatriation flights cost?

The first repatriation flight from Dubai to Kozhikode, Kerala, will be priced at Dh725, an Air India official has revealed to Khaleej Times. This is contrary to some media reports suggesting that the tickets on repatriation flights will be exorbitantly priced. The final ticket prices are yet to be announced by the Indian government, but a senior Kerala state minister said flights from the UAE to Kerala are likely to cost around Dh750. "That is the price we are expecting. The price of the ticket is decided by the Central government and the indication we have is the cost will not exceed Rs15,000 (approximately Dh730)," K.T. Jaleel, a minister in the Kerala's LDF-led government told Khaleej Times on Tuesday. But the biggest concern, Jaleel said, is that only those who are tested for Covid-19 should be allowed to board the flights.
Employers in UAE must bear repatriation cost of terminated employees

An employer is responsible for bearing the cost of repatriating an employee upon termination of contract in the UAE, a legal expert has said. Many expats have recently faced job losses due to the impact of Covid-19 on the economy and they wish to leave for good through special evacuation flights. In such cases of termination of job contract, the provisions of the Federal Law number 8 of 1980 states the repatriation expenses of an employee shall generally be borne by the employer, said Ashish Mehta, founder and managing partner, Ashish Mehta & Associates. "According to Article 131 of the Employment Law, the employer shall, upon the termination of the contract, bear the expenses of repatriation of an employee to the location from which he is hired, or to any other location agreed upon between the parties."
Mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine for returning Indians

All stranded Indian citizens returning home have to undergo a mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine upon arrival in India, at their own cost, said the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday. All travellers will also have to give a written undertaking that they are travelling at their own risk, according to a standard operating procedure (SOP) for movement of Indian nationals stranded outside the country released by the ministry on May 5. Travellers would also have to provide a written undertaking that they would undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival in India, according to the SOP.
One-year-old Filipino boy in UAE recovers from coronavirus

A Filipino toddler, who was born premature, has become the youngest Filipino who recovered from Covid-19 in the UAE. Baby Zaine is only one year and six months old. He recently tested negative, three weeks after he and his mother were diagnosed with Covid, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi said on Tuesday. Zaine did not have any symptoms at all but tested positive seven times, after he underwent screenings done by the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha). His mum experienced very mild symptoms during isolation. Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Hjayceelyn M. Quintana called Zaine's recovery "another miracle". "I have known Zaine since he was born three months premature in October 2018 and have been personally praying for him since then. I thank God for giving Zaine another miracle," said Quintana.
177 Indians to fly out from Abu Dhabi to Kochi on Thursday

The Indian embassy on Tuesday released a list of 177 passengers, who will travel on the first evacuation flight from Abu Dhabi to Kochi on Thursday. India plans to repatriate up to 2,000 stranded nationals from the UAE through 10 special flights in a week starting from Thursday. Mandatory 14-day quarantine for returning Indians. For the purpose, officials from the embassy formed a priority list of passengers and informed them over phone. The first list of evacuees is selected from the database created following registrations made on official portal. All 177 passengers need to fill a self-declaration form, which will have their personal and health details. Such forms are provided at airline offices, where ticket bookings will be done.
Low risk of passenger-to-passenger infection in flights, says IATA

The International Air Transport Association (Iata), the global representative of around 290 airlines, on Tuesday said air travel is safe because the risk of coronavirus transmission is low, and also opposed removing middle seats in the aircraft as part of social distance rules. While giving a briefing, the global aviation body said no passenger-to-passenger transmission of coronavirus has been reported so far during flights. "The neutralisation of middle seat brings no additional guarantee of safety onboard from the virus. It is not something tangible. Most of global airlines would not have been able to make money last year if a third of the seats had been removed," said Brian Pearce, chief economist of Iata.
Dubai takes intensive measures at labour accommodations amid Covid-19 outbreak

Dubai authorities are intensifying precautionary measures at labour accommodations to safeguard the health and wellbeing of blue-collar workers amid the Covid-19 outbreak. The extensive measures are part of Dubai's campaign to counter the virus in high-density labour accommodation facilities. Teams from the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Covid-19 Command and Control Centre, Dubai Police, the Permanent Committee for Labour Affairs and the private sector are working closely to ensure labourers remain safe. Regular field visits are organised to carry out proactive Covid-19 tests and raise awareness on the virus. Workers who test positive are quarantined, while those who require medical care are hospitalised. Suspected cases are isolated and subjected to tests to ensure all workers are free of the virus. Currently, extensive Covid-19 tests are being conducted at a number of labour accommodations in Dubai.
Emaar Malls announces extended relief package for tenants

Emaar Malls has announced extended relief package for its retail tenants and also deferred collection of rental cheques to ease potential financial pressure on its clients due to Coronavirus. It said tenants whose stores were mandatorily closed during the lockdown period will be offered a waiver of contractual base rent, service charge, yearly marketing fee and 70 per cent flat discount on fixed chilled water charge. It added that tenants whose stores were mandatorily closed by government decision prior to the lockdown period shall also benefit from this category of relief starting from the date of the government mandatory closure until the date such closure is lifted. In addition, tenants whose stores were open during the lockdown period will pay turnover rent (TOR) calculated for each store at base rent-to-sales percentage of comparative month of year 2019 or at the contractual TOR percentage under the lease agreement - whichever is higher.
Indian woman loses husband in UAE, his employer offers her a job

When Dubai-based Indian mom Suvarna Rahate lost her husband Rajendra to the Covid-19 coronavirus on April 26, the entire family's lives came crashing down. The couple, along with their 17-year-old daughter, have been UAE residents for over seven years and according to Suvarna, nothing in the world had prepared them for this tragedy. "Everything happened so fast. He was fit and fine. and this happened. He was tested positive for Covid-19 on April 5, and within weeks he has left us," Suvarna told Khaleej Times. According to his wife, Rajendra had no pre-existing conditions and was admitted to a Dubai-based hospital once his condition worsened. Rahate's wife and daughter were home quarantined as a safety measure
Get babies vaccinated inside your car with new UAE mobile clinic

UAE parents can now get their babies vaccinated without having to step out of their cars, with the new mobile e-clinic service launched by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap). Now being offered at most of the ministry's health promotion centres, the service can be provided to babies from four, six, 12 to 18 months. Parents  need to contact the centre to book an appointment. On the day of the kids' vaccination, the family will just have to drive by the centre's entrance where they will be received by a medical team. Assessments will follow and the shot will be administered while the baby and the parents are inside the car.
Dh50 vaccine by July? Indian major puts its money where its mouth is

As the world rushes to find a vaccine for Covid-19, an Indian pharmaceutical major is offering a glimmer of hope by betting up to $80 million of its own money on an experimental vaccine for Covid-19 by gearing up to mass-produce it by July. Serum Institute of India, the world's largest producer of vaccines by the number of doses it produces and exports, claims it can begin bulk manufacturing in two months as human trials continue in the United Kingdom. "We hope to begin mass production within two months. The cost will be approximately $60-80 million for a new plant we are setting up. We will export the vaccine if we feel there is enough supply, but first, we want to give it to our own country," Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute, told Khaleej Times.
Needy Abu Dhabi residents get food supplies thanks to new scheme

The Authority of Social Contribution-Ma'an has commenced the first deliveries of its food support scheme, providing more than 512 food baskets to Abu Dhabi citizens and residents whose income has been affected by the current coronavirus pandemic. In partnership with Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority, the food basket deliveries will run for three months, providing three different-sized baskets of supplies for individuals, couples or families in the emirate who have been most affected, depending on the number of family members, said a Ma'an press release issued on Tuesday. Volunteers worked across the weekend to stock the baskets of high-quality, nutritious and healthy essential food and kitchen cupboard items, including rice, pasta, dates, beans, tea, jam and noodles. For those with young children, baby supplies were also provided. The volunteers are Emiratis and expatriates from Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Asia, North American, Europe and Africa.
Abu Dhabi labour courts handle 800 disputes remotely in one month

More than 800 labour disputes were recently settled remotely by Abu Dhabi courts through video conferencing. The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) said the Labour Court of First Instance and Appellate Court had hearings in 825 lawsuits through video conferencing within one month of the activation of the remote work plan at the judicial department. The figures from the judicial department also indicated that the Abu Dhabi Labour Court received more than 500 electronic applications in the registration section, as well as 1,265 calls from customers. The remote trials are part of telecommuting and business continuity plan being implemented by the ADJD in line with the efforts made by the UAE to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.