The United Arab Emirates has warned that it may tighten precautionary measures against those who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, as its vaccination campaign continues to gain momentum. The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority stated on Tuesday that the UAE, home to about nine million people and expanding its vaccination campaign to include those as young as sixteen, has vaccinated approximately 65% of the eligible population.
"Your hesitation today poses an obstacle to what we aspire to and puts your family, loved ones, and community at risk. Receiving the vaccine will help fortify and protect this community from this pandemic," they added.
Dr. Saif Al Dhaheri, the official spokesperson for the authority, confirmed, "We are currently considering soon implementing strict measures across all sectors to restrict the movement of the unvaccinated as a step toward enforcing precautionary measures such as banning them from entering certain places and accessing certain services, aiming to ensure the health and safety of all."
Over half a million infections
On Tuesday, the UAE recorded 1,903 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 500,860, with 1,559 fatalities. The UAE enforces distancing rules and the use of masks in public places and is among the countries with the fastest vaccination programs in the world. The Abu Dhabi Health Authority announced in an update on Wednesday that the emirate now provides the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in addition to the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine.
