Emirati singer Hussain Al Jassmi and UAE Team Emirates cycling team and latest in line for Covid jab

Emirati musician Hussain Al Jassmi and the UAE Team Emirates cycling team are the latest public figures to receive the vaccine against Covid-19.

Professional cyclists and support staff from the 2020 Tour de France winning team posed for photographs receiving the Sinopharm jabs to encourage others to follow their lead to encourage wider community protection against the virus.

Thank God I have received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine

A total of 27 riders from the UAE cycling team took the Chinese-made vaccine, including Tour de France winner, Tadej Pogacar, from Slovenia.

A further 32 members of staff also received the vaccine.

“As a UAE team we are enormously proud of the efforts the nation and its leadership have taken at every level to both, combat the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and to be a leader in the efforts to bring life back to normal,” said UAE Team Emirates Principal Mauro Gianetti.

The UAE is due to begin producing the Sinopharm vaccine under licence from the Chinese drug maker later this year in anticipation of huge global demand.

Millions of shots have already been allocated for the UAE.

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On Thursday, the UAE recorded 2,988 new cases of Covid-19, the largest daily tally since the outbreak began, surpassing the previous high of 2,067 infections on Wednesday.

While five patients dies, taking the death toll to 694, a further 3,658 patients overcame the virus, pushing the recovery total to 199,178.

Meanwhile, Mr Al Jassmi a pianist, compositor, musician and singer who is well known in the Middle East was also photographed taking the Pfizer vaccine in the hope of encouraging others to get vaccinated.

Mr Al Jassmi, who was the first Arabic artist to sing at the Vatican, shared the photograph on his Twitter page, where he has 6.9 million followers.

“Thank God, today I have received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine,” he said.

“Thank God for the blessing of the UAE, thank God for the presence a leadership thats first concern is the human.”