Coronavirus news bulletin from UAE: 1,096 cases reported; door-to-door Covid-19 testing expanded; more frontliners given vaccine

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

by

Ismail Sebugwaawo

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Published: Mon 12 Oct 2020, 8:50 AM

Last updated: Mon 12 Oct 2020, 10:59 AM

Here's a round-up of all the latest Covid-19 developments you need to know:
UAE reports 1,096 Covid-19 cases, 1,311 recoveries, 2 deaths
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Sunday reported 1,096 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 1,311 recoveries. Two deaths were also reported. Nearly 134,000 new Covid-19 tests were carried out, the ministry added, taking the total number of tests to around 11 million so far. The UAE has become the first country in the world where the number of Covid-19 tests conducted has exceeded its population (among countries with a population of more than one million).

75% hybrid learning students now back in Sharjah schools
Seventy-five per cent of students who opted for hybrid learning this academic year are now attending in-person classes at 116 private schools in Sharjah. "All students, who chose hybrid learning, will return to schools by next week. Those who have opted for online classes will continue so until the end of the year," said a top official at the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA). More than 24,000 students have already been screened for Covid-19 to attend in-person classes and more students will follow until 100 per cent students, who chose hybrid learning, are back on campus, he added. Meanwhile, the SPEA has trained over 500 staff to deal with any symptoms of the virus that may appear among students or educational staff.  

Over 5,400 Sharjah residents fined for violating Covid-19 safety rules
The Sharjah Police fined 5,432 individuals in a month for violating safety rules made mandatory in order to limit the spread of Covid-19. Speaking to Khaleej Times, Major-General Saif Al Zeri Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of the Sharjah Police, said the police intensified patrolling because of the increase in daily Covid-19 cases. Patrolling units found that the most common violation was exceeding the nu mber of people allowed to travel together in a car. Only three unrelated persons are allowed to be in a car. The police caught and fined 950 people for flouting this rule. Besides this, Maj-Gen Al Shamsi said "hi-tech monitoring devices" caught 569 people in enclosed indoor spaces without face masks despite them exhibiting flu-like symptoms. About 751 people were issued fines for not maintaining a safe physical distance.

More frontliners in the UAE given Covid-19 vaccine
Doctors, nurses, police officers, teachers, aviation sector workers and judicial officials are among people receiving the Covid-19 vaccine as part of its emergency use in the UAE. The UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap) had in September announced an "emergency approval" for use of a Covid-19 vaccine that has been trialled in the country. Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention said the vaccine was available to the frontline workers who are at the highest risk of contracting the virus and that this will protect them from any dangers. And in the latest initiative organized by UAE health authorities, many Emiratis have received the Covid-19 vaccine from the Al Tawiyah Majlis (Council) in Al Ain city under the emergency use permit granted to the UAE.

Door-to-door Covid-19 testing expanded to densely populated areas in Abu Dhabi
Medical teams are visiting various areas of Abu Dhabi in a renewed and expanded testing campaign to identify potential Covid-19 cases. Frontline heroes are conducting tests in densely populated areas of the emirate, the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office said on Twitter. The free tests are being carried out in coordination with the Department of Health (DoH) - Abu Dhabi, Seha, the Abu Dhabi Police and volunteers. Captain Dr Aisha Al Maamari, field coordinator from the Abu Dhabi Police, said they are currently in Shakbout City to screen as many people as possible. Mass screening in Abu Dhabi started in April targeting industrial areas, including Musaffah. Door-to-door tests were also carried out in highly populated residential areas of the emirate.

Dubai shuts down 4 businesses for breaking rules, 6 others fined
Dubai Municipality closed down four establishments, including two hair salons, a food establishment and a laundry service, for flouting precautionary measures. The violating businesses were caught during Dubai Municipality's inspections visits conducted on October 10, 2020. Of the total 2,263 establishments visited, officials found 2,200 businesses, 97 per cent of the total inspected, to be adhering to precautionary measures. Besides the four establishments that faced closures, six other businesses were fined and 53 were issued warnings for non-compliance.

On-site learners happier than online peers, say educators in UAE
Students who attend in-person classes seem happier than their online peers and respond better in classroom activities, various UAE educators have noted. Online learners may not always be directly interacting with teachers and communication may often be impersonal, they added. Schools reopened in the UAE on August 30 with many following blended learning models at the institutions. "Pupils who have been in the classrooms from the start of term are more confident, despite all the changes and safety measures we've put in place due to Covid-19. While we support all of our pupils with their personal choice of in-class or distance learning, it has been noticed that children really do respond better to in-classroom activity.

E-scooter rental service resumes in Abu Dhabi
Electronic scooters rental services will resume in Abu Dhabi from today under strict Covid-19 safety guidelines. These include periodic checks of all staff operating the scooters to verify that they are free from the virus and mandatory masks and gloves for everyone. The Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) of the Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi on Sunday announced that e-scooter rental firms can start off at 25 per cent capacity in specific districts. These include Al Reem Island, Al Maryah Island, Al Zahia, Al Dana, parts of Al Bateen, Corniche and Marina. The resumption of the service is conditional on the firms' compliance with the health precautions and safety measures against the spread of the coronavirus.


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