Coronavirus news bulletin: UAE reports 1,209 Covid cases on Monday; salaries steady since outbreak; wedding, event halls reopen

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

Ismail Sebugwaawo

Published: Tue 17 Nov 2020, 9:14 AM

Here's a round-up of all the latest Covid-19 developments you need to know:

UAE reports 1,209 Covid-19 cases, 680 recoveries, 4 deaths

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Monday reported 1209 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 680 recoveries. Four deaths were also reported. As many as 84,154 new Covid-19 tests were carried out, taking the total to nearly 15.1 million tests so far. Emirates is gearing up to transport Covid-19 vaccines across the world. These include Pfizer's jab that is purported to be more than 90 per cent effective against the coronavirus. In an interview to CNBC, Tim Clark, the President of the Dubai-based carrier, said Emirates is working on moving Pfizer's vaccine in special containers on its planes. The vaccine frontrunnner must be stored under -70 degree Celsius for optimal efficiency, and the Emirates president said the carrier had the facilities for the task.

Here's why Covid-19 impacts kids less

The younger the child, the safer he/she is from the Covid-19 viral infection even though the kid may carry higher viral loads compared to adults, doctors in the UAE have pointed out. Researchers have also often called the 'gap' in contracting the disease between children and adults “puzzling” and said it “may be related to both exposure and host factors”. This is being reiterated in the wake of a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and supported by researchers from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in the US. The study highlights that children have lower levels of an enzyme/co-receptor that SARS-CoV-2, the RNA virus that causes Covid-19, needs to invade airway epithelial cells in the lung.

Nearly half of UAE companies say salaries steady since Covid-19 outbreak

The UAE employers are primarily concerned with retaining talent while salaries across the UAE are expected to remain under significant pressure in 2021, according to the latest report by the world’s largest specialised staffing firm Robert Half. The labour and remuneration market is not certainly good but it is not that gloomy as some predict. Nearly half – 47 per cent – of senior managers in the UAE say that salaries have held steady since Covid-19 began while three-in-10 or 26 per cent of respondent actually noted an increase in base compensation for key roles spanning accounting and finance, technology and human resources/administration, Robert Half said in its latest report released on Monday.

Physician in UAE discusses Covid-19 vaccine trials participation in video, suspended

An Abu Dhabi physician has had his license suspended for discussing his involvement in the clinical trials of the Covid-19 vaccine and revealing his immunity results in a video clip, which violates the law. The Department of Health-Abu Dhabi (DoH) said it has temporarily suspended the licence of the physician working in Abu Dhabi's healthcare sector for breaching the confidentiality agreement. "Revealing such information violates UAE laws as well as breaching clinical trials protocols, including confidentiality agreements," the DoH said in a statement. "Clinical trials are conducted according to strict healthcare procedures and international protocols. As is the case with any scientific research, all clinical trial participants are subject to confidentiality agreements.”

Over 30,000 UAE Armed Forces personnel vaccinated against Covid-19

More than 30,000 UAE army personnel have received the Covid-19 vaccine to keep the force safe from infections, a senior official from the Ministry of Defence has said. Brigadier-General Dr Aisha Al Dhaheri, commander of medical service corps, UAE Armed Forces, said those who received the jabs included military contractors and national services recruits. The men and women in uniform, she said, have been on the frontlines of the country’s fight against the coronavirus. They helped deliver critical care supplies, transported critically ill patients to hospitals and ensured border security amid the pandemic. “We used military personnel for case detection by creating five screening centres. We also supported the vaccination trials for the UAE,” said Dr Dhaheri.

Sharjah wedding, event halls reopen: Key guidelines to be followed

The Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD) has issued a circular spelling out a slew of protocols that should be followed by wedding venues and events halls, which were allowed to reopen from November 1 with strict anti-Covid measures. The department will carry out inspections to ensure compliance of these conditions and take stringent action against the offenders. The guidelines include wearing face masks and gloves, and following social distance of two meters between people. The number of guests should not exceed 50 per cent of the hall's capacity and the facilities must organise awareness campaigns for employees about the prevention and protection against the infection, said Salim Ahmed Al Suwaidi, deputy director of commercial control and protection department at SEDD.