UAE: 12,836 vaccine doses administered in 24 hours

The UAE has administered 12,836 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in the past 24 hours.

The country's Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) said the total doses administered now stand at 24.3 million.

This takes the rate of doses to 246.12 doses per 100 people.

All private schools in Sharjah will return to full in-person learning from the new academic term in April.

The Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) made the announcement in coordination with the local National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority.

The decision was taken in light of “the stability of the Covid-19 situation and the high vaccination rate”, the SPEA posted on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Monday there were no current plans to further tighten strict social distancing measures as authorities battle to contain a deepening coronavirus outbreak which has submerged its health system and seen deaths soar.

Lam said there was limited room to tighten further, with the global financial hub already having put in place the strictest measures since its Covid strategy began in 2020. Gatherings of more than two people are banned, most venues are shut - including schools - and masks are compulsory everywhere, even when exercising outdoors.

"The government has to be very careful before tightening social distancing measures further ... with the need to consider the mental health of citizens," she told a daily press briefing.

Lam said last week that the city government had no time frame for a potential compulsory mass testing of Hong Kong's 7.4 million residents.

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