As countries rush to vaccinate the new coronavirus, 35% of the population has already completed at least one vaccination in the UAE in the Middle East, and vaccination is progressing at the fastest pace in the world. I will.
At the same time as giving priority to people in the hospitality industry, measures to strongly encourage inoculation have begun, and the spread is urgent.
In the UAE = United Arab Emirates with a population of about 9.8 million, vaccinations developed by Chinese pharmaceutical giant "Sinofarm" and American pharmaceutical giant "Pfizer" began in December last year, and as of 16th, Over 6.5 million inoculations were given.
According to "Our World in Data", which summarizes the vaccination status of each country by researchers at Oxford University in the United Kingdom, 35.2% of the population has already completed vaccination at least once as of the 23rd of last month. It is the third fastest pace in the world after Israel and the United Kingdom.
In the UAE, in addition to medical professionals and the elderly, we also include people called essential workers who are in charge of the hospitality business.
Government-affiliated Emirates Airlines has positioned 80,000 people, including ground staff, as essential workers and is promoting inoculation, and large-scale inoculation is being promoted mainly by major companies that are closely related to the government.
In addition, we strongly encourage people who have not been vaccinated to receive PCR tests on a regular basis.
Of these, in northern Sharjah, since last month, employees of restaurants and grocery stores who have not been vaccinated are required to undergo a PCR test once every two weeks.
Similar measures are also targeted for civil servants, and for those who have not been vaccinated, regular inspections are still required, which is a measure to encourage vaccination.
As an economic hub in the Middle East, the UAE has developed by relying on foreign business travelers and tourists, and in October, the international exposition "Dubai Expo" is scheduled to be held, and efforts are being made to resolve the infection. Is proceeding.
Large-scale vaccination at major companies and universities
In the UAE = United Arab Emirates, where most of the population is foreign residents, large-scale vaccinations of all nationalities are being promoted at major government-affiliated companies and universities, leading to an acceleration of the pace. I will.
Of these, Emirates Airlines, a major government-affiliated airline, has positioned approximately 80,000 employees, including related companies, as essential workers who are eligible for priority vaccination, and is proceeding with vaccination at the venue set up at Dubai International Airport. I am.
Ground staff and mechanics visited the venue one after another during the work, and were vaccinated with a vaccine developed by a Chinese pharmaceutical company.
A Filipino man who received the vaccination said, "The blockade of the city and the suspension of international flights are already overwhelming, so we decided to inoculate for the safety of our customers and their families."
Among the major government-affiliated companies, telecommunications companies and state-owned oil companies have also announced that their employees will be vaccinated, and large-scale vaccination is being promoted for each company.
Inoculation was also carried out at the university, and a venue was set up on campus on the 7th at the private Ajman University in the northern part of the UAE.
At this university, 70% of faculty and staff have already been vaccinated, and now they are urging students to be vaccinated.
At the university, a large number of people visited because graduates could also receive vaccinations free of charge.
An Algerian male professor of architecture who visited the inoculation said, "In the case of architecture, there are limits to teaching and learning in online learning. As many people as possible are vaccinated and taught in the usual way. I want to restart. "
Mr. Hisham Mutanawi, the person in charge of the vaccination venue, said, "Since the facilities on the university campus are easily accessible, we would like to invite many people to come and aim for a 100% vaccination rate."
Measures to forcibly encourage inoculation
In the UAE = United Arab Emirates, some movements have begun to require non-vaccinated people to undergo regular PCR tests, and measures are being taken to encourage vaccination in a semi-compulsory manner.
These measures began in multiple regions of the UAE, of which in northern Sharjah at the end of last month, employees working in restaurants and grocery stores were given the new coronavirus once every two weeks if not vaccinated. Announced that it will require PCR testing.
In response to these movements, restaurants in the city have said that they have no choice but to vaccinate.
Of these, the Palestinian restaurant in the city is working while taking turns with the store manager and five employees, but since it is required to wait at home until the result is known after the inspection, continue the work. Is going to be difficult.
Palestinian Ahmad Museiini, the owner of the store, said, "Regular testing is a big burden to the management and there is no choice but to vaccinate. Foreigners like us want to protect their jobs in the UAE. We can't refuse the government's recommendation, so we ask our employees to get the vaccine. "