São Paulo – Authorities in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, informed this week that a plan would be put in place to prevent unvaccinated people into most public places. The rules will take effect from August 20, and only those who have already been vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to access the sites, according to the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis, and Disasters Committee.
The information was published by several local news websites, including Gulf Business. The UAE has vaccines available, and a substantial part of the population has already taken both shots. In the country, vaccination is already offered to children and teenagers over the age of 12. Over 93% of the target group for vaccination in Abu Dhabi has already been immunized, according to a statement from the Abu Dhabi Media Office.
The restriction plan for the unvaccinated will have several phases. In the first, access will be barred in shopping centers, restaurants, cafes, and other points of sale, except supermarkets and pharmacies. Also on the list are gyms, recreational facilities, sports venues, resorts, museums, cultural centers, theme parks, universities, institutes, schools, and nurseries.
According to the committee, the rule does not apply to non-immunized individuals who have a certificate of exemption from vaccination, received through an authorized process, and registered in the Alhosn mobile application, developed to control the spread of COVID. Also not included in the restriction are children and teenagers under the age of 15.
The emirate of Abu Dhabi stated it would go ahead with other measures to halt COVID-19, such as testing campaigns in industrial and densely populated areas. According to Gulf Business, the Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants of COVID-19 are the most widespread in the UAE, accounting for 84.4% of infections. The country has so far had 631,190 people infected with the virus and 1,807 dead.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
