UAE: 14,538 Covid vaccine doses administered in 24 hours

The UAE has administered 14,538 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 22.2 million.

This takes the rate of doses to 224.53 doses per 100 people.

The US Air Force on Monday said 27 service members had been discharged for refusing to receive a Covid-19 vaccine, the first active-duty troops believed to have been removed for declining the vaccine.

The Pentagon made the vaccine mandatory for all service members in August and the vast majority of active-duty troops have received at least one dose.

Ann Stefanek, a spokeswoman for the Air Force, said the troops were given a chance to explain why they had refused to get vaccinated, but none of them were given exemptions.

Meanwhile, California is bringing back a statewide indoor mask mandate.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration announced the new mandate will start Wednesday and last until January 15. The order comes as the per capita rate of new coronavirus cases in California has jumped 47 per cent in the past two weeks.

California also is tightening existing testing requirements by ordering unvaccinated people attending indoor events of 1,000 people or more to have a negative test within one or two days, depending on the type of test. The state also is recommending travellers who visit or return to California to get tested within five days of their arrival.

• UAE