Emirates is offering passengers free medical cover for Covid-19-related expenses.
The Dubai airline is the first in the world to offer travellers free cover against medical costs incurred if they contract the coronavirus.
The new policy was implemented under the directive of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and is designed to boost people’s confidence to travel during the pandemic.
The medical cover was announced hours after UAE authorities said all travellers arriving in the country would have to be tested for Covid-19 before boarding flights. However, the policy does not cover the cost of coronavirus testing.
All Emirates passengers can use the cover for medical expenses of up to €150,000 (Dh638,118) if they contract Covid-19 during their travels.
“Under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, Emirates is proud to lead the way in boosting confidence for international travel," said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, group chairman and chief executive of Emirates.
“We know people are yearning to fly as borders around the world gradually reopen, but they are seeking flexibility and assurances should something unforeseen happen during their travel.”
The cover gives travellers assistance for costs related to medical treatment, quarantine and repatriation if they get sick after taking an Emirates flight. It is provided by the airline in partnership with Allianz Partners and Nextcare and is valid for up to 31 days from the first day of travel.
Emirates announced the new Covid-19 cover after the city eased travel restrictions earlier this month and began issuing tourist and visit visas for the first time since March.
The airline has opened up more than 60 routes for tourists and residents, who can travel abroad as long as they follow a series of measures, including being tested for the virus on their return to Dubai.
All inbound travellers to Dubai, whether tourists or residents, must sign a form when they land guaranteeing they have medical insurance that would cover treatment should they contract the virus.
How can travellers get Emirates' Covid-19 assistance?
All Emirates passengers flying between Wednesday, July 22 and Saturday, October 31 will automatically receive the cover. This includes existing and new bookings, as well as Emirates flights booked via travel agents.
There is no additional fee to pay – the service is entirely free of charge and passengers do not need to register or fill out any additional forms.
Travellers flying with Emirates on a ticket that involves a flight with another airline will be covered only if the ticket was purchased via Emirates, and the first flight is with Emirates or one of the airline's codeshare partners.
How long is the cover valid for?
It's valid for 31 days, from the date that travellers first fly with Emirates. This is the same for one-way and return tickets.
The cover ends when travellers return to their country of residence, or after 31 days – whichever is sooner. There is no option to extend the cover for longer trips. A second one-way ticket will be treated as a new booking, with a new 31-day period of assistance.
What destinations are covered?
The cover applies to travellers flying on any Emirates flight, to and from any destination and across all classes of travel.
It is also valid in any destination that travellers continue to after arriving at their Emirates location – even if flying with another airline – so long as the onward travel is within the 31-day cut-off period.
What should I do if I get sick and want to use Emirates' Covid-19 cover?
Travellers diagnosed with Covid-19 that want to make use of Emirates' cover will first need to contact the airline's Covid-19 response team.
This can be done via a free hotline number (00971 4 270 8825) and support is available 24 hours a day. Travellers can also get in touch with the airline via WhatsApp (+971 56 35 89 937).
When contacting Emirates, travellers need to have their flight ticket, boarding pass, passport (including residency visa if applicable) and a positive Covid-19 test that's dated after their first day of travel to hand.
Emirates says that travellers must receive approval from the Emirates Covid-19 assistance team before seeking medical treatment.
Once the airline has been informed, the Covid-19 assistance team will arrange any medical assistance that's necessary. They will settle bills directly with hospitals and clinics. Travellers that pay for medical services for Covid-19 that have not been pre-approved by Emirates will not get any of their money back.
What is covered by Emirates' Covid-19 assistance?
Emirates' Covid-19 assistance can be used by travellers that test positive for the coronavirus while overseas.
It will cover travellers for repatriation assistance, medical and hospital costs, and any expenses related to mandatory quarantine in approved designated facilities.
Medical and hospital costs are covered up to €150,000 (Dh638,118) per person.
Reparation assistance is covered, including all costs to return the covered traveller home. One travel companion and accompanying minors will also have their travel costs covered. This will be via economy class flights, taxi or on first-class trains, as per the airline's Covid-19 assistance team's decision.
If travellers need to quarantine, up to €100 (Dh425) per day can be claimed by each covered person, for up 14 days.
Should any travellers die from Covid-19-related reasons, Emirates will cover the cost of transporting the body back to the traveller’s home country and assist with funeral costs up to €1,500 (Dh6,376).
What’s not covered by the policy?
The free insurance does not cover travellers for the cost of testing for the virus before or during a trip.
If a destination requires travellers to have a PCR test upon arrival or show negative Covid-19 test results before boarding a flight, this must be paid for by the individual.
Emirates does not provide any cover for passengers in their own country of residence and is not valid if travellers decide to fly against the advice of their local government. Passengers must follow all the rules of local authorities in their destination or cover will be invalid.
Like all insurance policies, there’s also a long list of circumstances that render Emirates' Covid-19 cover invalid. These include, but are not limited to, civil war, hostage situations, riots and terrorism.
The cover also won't hold up in the event of another pandemic or epidemic, and travellers participating in gambling, crime or fighting, or who have consumed alcohol or drugs, will not be covered by the airline’s Covid-19 insurance.
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Pickford, Pope.
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Dier, Gomez, Keane, Maguire, Maitland-Niles, Mings, Saka, Trippier, Walker.
Midfielders Henderson, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse, Winks.
Forwards Abraham, Barnes, Calvert-Lewin, Grealish, Ings, Kane, Rashford, Sancho, Sterling.
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
Managing the separation process
- Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
- Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
- Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
- If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
- The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
- Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
- Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
