Behavioural changes in place to stave off the Covid-19 outbreak could change by "late spring or summer" following widespread vaccination efforts in the developed world, according to Bill Gates.
Countries around the world have imposed movement restrictions, placed a cap on large gatherings and made measures such as wearing face masks and sanitisation mandatory to stem the spread of the virus
The billionaire founder of Microsoft, who now focuses on healthcare through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, spoke about the impact of inoculation to contain Covid-19 in an interview on social media app Clubhouse.
“It’s only by late spring or summer that we’re going to get to numbers where you can look at changing your behaviour in a significant way,” Mr Gates said.
More than 231 million doses of Covid-19 have been delivered worldwide, with more than 70 million jabs distributed in the US, the country with the highest number of Covid-19 infections.
Mr Gates, who has been a vocal proponent for adopting preventive measures such as face masks, has received a two doses of the jab but said the vaccination does not stop transmission of the virus.
He urged those who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus to continue wearing personal protective equipment and adhere to social distancing rules to stop the spread.
Globally, the number of infections rose above 114 million as of Saturday, according to Worldometer, which tracks the pandemic. The US accounts for more than a quarter of all infections.
Regulators have so far approved vaccines developed by the Pfizer/BioNTech collaboration, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Oxford, Novavax, Sinovac Biotech, Gamaleya, CanSino Biologics, Sinopharm and more recently, Johnson & Johnson.
However, new and more virulent strains of the pathogen that mutated in the UK, South Africa and Brazil are now adding to the concerns of vaccine makers.
Israel has had the most success in the vaccination programme, with 36.4 per cent of the population vaccinated so far, according to a Bloomberg tracker.
The new administration of Joe Biden has promised to deliver vaccines to 100 million people within the first 100 days of his office.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
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What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
The five pillars of Islam
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The cost of Covid testing around the world
Egypt
Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists
Information can be found through VFS Global.
Jordan
Dh212
Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.
Cambodia
Dh478
Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.
Zanzibar
AED 295
Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.
Abu Dhabi
Dh85
Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.
UK
From Dh400
Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.
Friday's schedule at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 qualifying, 10:15am
Formula 2, practice 11:30am
Formula 1, first practice, 1pm
GP3 qualifying session, 3.10pm
Formula 1 second practice, 5pm
Formula 2 qualifying, 7pm
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
