The Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis, and Disasters Committee has declared that all government employees in the United Arab Emirates’ capital must have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and received a booster dosage before entering the job.

The guidelines will go into effect on January 10, and they will be in addition to prior laws requiring public-sector workers to undergo a free PCR test every seven days.

The regulations do not apply to persons who are unable to work due to medical reasons.

Meanwhile, during this week’s weekly COVID-19 briefing, held on Wednesday by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), officials emphasized the importance of booster shots, saying: “Studies have significantly shown vaccine and booster shots significantly help reduce the rates of hospitalization and death, and prevent the spread of disease.”

“We urge eligible persons, particularly the elderly and those with chronic conditions, to get their booster doses to protect themselves and help national efforts to handle the pandemic and fight variations.”

The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) recorded 2,708 new COVID-19 cases in the preceding 24 hours on Wednesday.

According to the government, the total number of documented cases in the UAE has grown to 774,897. There have been no additional virus-related fatalities recorded.
The UAE, which has one of the highest immunization rates in the world, has increased its vaccination program in response to a recent increase in COVID-19 infections.

To date, more than 22 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been delivered.

Meanwhile, almost three million PCR tests have been performed around the country in the last week.