Covid-19 News: #UAE Urges Return to Normal And Vows No Virus Lockdown - Bloomberg

Covid-19 News: UAE Urges Return to Normal And Vows No Virus Lockdown - Bloomberg

The United Arab Emirates does not intend to return to a full lockdown despite a rise in Covid-19 cases, and will focus on testing and vaccination to keep its economy open, its trade minister said.

European nations have tightened virus restrictions as infections rise and the omicron variant spreads. But the UAE has kept disruptions to a minimum, holding major conferences, concerts and events. Before the omicron strain emerged, the UAE had managed to keep cases under control for most of 2021, but new virus cases have risen to more than 2,500 a day in recent weeks.

“Omicron is way less impactful than the delta (variant) and even during delta we haven’t locked down the country. The balance has been there throughout the omicron for sure and with any future variants when it comes to corona, we will not go back to the full lockdown of the country,” Thani Al-Zeyoudi, the minister of state for foreign trade, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

In October, Middle East business hub Dubai launched its Expo 2020, one of the biggest in-person gatherings since the pandemic, betting on the six-month extravaganza to attract millions of visitors and boost an economy battered by years of low oil prices and the devastating impact of the pandemic on trade and travel.