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Covid-19: Abu Dhabi ranks first for pandemic response

Abu Dhabi - Ranking of 25 leading cities demonstrates the wide-reaching impact of the UAE Capital's response.

Abu Dhabi leads the world in its response to Covid-19, topping a ranking of the world’s 25 leading cities for their pandemic response, including Seoul, Sydney, Singapore and Ottawa.

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The ranking by London-based Deep Knowledge Group is based on 50 parameters in five categories: healthcare management, efficient quarantine systems, vaccination rates, government efficiency and the resilience of the economy.

Since the start of the pandemic, Abu Dhabi took proactive and stringent precautionary measures to protect the health and safety of the community, while supporting the economy with stimulus packages that provided critical and ongoing support to all sectors of the local economy.

Within weeks, field hospitals, mass testing centres and screening facilities, including drive-through, were established. Free PCR testing was done, millions of meals distributed, and health awareness programmes done in several languages and mental health support offered.

The world’s first Phase III trials of an inactivated viral vaccine was successfully conducted. And the Capital has been playing a key role in the nationwide vaccination campaign, leading to more than half of the eligible UAE population already receiving a free vaccine.

The emirate’s robust response to the pandemic has ensured the city has maintained a low rate of positive cases.

Additionally, Abu Dhabi established the Hope Consortium to coordinate the delivery of billions of doses of the Covid-19 vaccine around the world.