On June 11, 2021, the United Arab Emirates saw a 51.27% increase in COVID cases despite being one of the most vaccinated countries globally.
The country has reported a total of 606,128 cases,1741 deaths and 19,145 active cases thus far.
Daily cases, which had dipped to below 1200 in May when 87.17% of the eligible group had been vaccinated, surged in the first week of June, just after the Eid-al-Fitr holidays.
In response to the rise in cases, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority issued a statement urging everyone to abide by the preventive measures and maintain social distance even if they are fully vaccinated.
UAE has one of the highest vaccination rates globally
Among the Arab countries, UAE has been at the forefront of combating COVID-19.
“87.17% of those eligible for vaccines have been fully vaccinated, including 97.52% of the 60+age group”, said Al Hossaini, Official Spokesperson of the UAE health sector.
The Health Ministry continues to urge everyone in the country to get vaccinated, particularly in light of new mutant COVID-19 strains that place a high risk to individuals who have not been vaccinated.
According to the latest data, 140,015 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine are administered per 100,000 people.
Several countries across the world have now reported a spike in cases during the holiday season. In UAE’s case, the spike occurred despite high vaccination rates, raising questions about the efficacy of Sinopharm and the potential need for COVID-19 prevention measures even with high vaccine coverage.