The AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine against COVID-19 has become the fourth one approved by the UAE's Dubai health authorities for use and the first batch of the vaccine already arrived from India at the Dubai airport, the emirate's government said on Tuesday
DOHA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd February, 2021) The AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine against COVID-19 has become the fourth one approved by the UAE's Dubai health authorities for use and the first batch of the vaccine already arrived from India at the Dubai airport, the emirate's government said on Tuesday.
In addition to AstraZeneca's vaccine, the UAE has authorized the Pfizer/BioNTech, Sinopharm and Sputnik V vaccines so far. On Monday, Dubai announced fresh measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus, under which the occupancy rate in entertainment and sports facilities was reduced to 50 percent, while 70 percent of the total count of rooms could be booked in hotels. Stores are allowed to receive 70 percent of the potential number of visitors. Restaurants and cafes must close at 01:00 local time (21:00 GMT), with no events being permitted to be organized.
"The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) today announced that the first shipment of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has arrived from India at Dubai Airport. DHA will be making the AstraZeneca vaccine available in the emirate as part of its commitment to provide the public a choice of different vaccines. The provision of the vaccine also supports the UAE's broader objective of combating the pandemic," the government said in a statement.
The health authority expressed its appreciation to the UAE foreign and health ministries for their efforts to counter the pandemic, as well as to the Indian authorities for making AstraZeneca available in the emirate.
"The vaccines are being provided as part of Dubai's comprehensive vaccination drive launched in December 2020. More than 120 vaccination centers have been set up to administer the vaccines. DHA is in the process of setting up more centers in the coming weeks to accommodate the growing demand for vaccination," the government added.
As of now, the UAE has recorded 309,649 cases of COVID-19, including 866 fatalities.
