The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday released its first set of official guidelines for fully vaccinated people.
Two vaccines, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna drugs, were approved in December 2020, while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was approved at the end of February.
“With more and more people vaccinated each day, we are starting to turn a corner,” agency director Dr Rochelle Walensky said.
As of Monday, about 30 million people in the US had been fully vaccinated.
Here's a breakdown of the agency's message to fully vaccinated people:
Who is 'fully vaccinated'? How do I know if I am?
Fully vaccinated people are those who have had both doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The agency recommends that vaccinated people limit interactions for two weeks after their final dose.
What can I safely do now that I'm fully vaccinated?
Fully vaccinated people can safely visit and spend time with fully vaccinated people indoors without face masks or social distancing.
They can visit – also unmasked and without social distancing – another household that includes unvaccinated people if they are not at high risk of severe Covid-19 symptoms.
What precautions should I take?
If fully vaccinated people visit a household with someone who is at high risk, or visit a space hosting people from more than one household, they should wear a face mask and practise social distancing.
People at high risk of severe disease from Covid-19 may include those with cancer, diabetes, obesity, liver disease, heart conditions and other health problems.
They also include immuno-compromised people, smokers and those who are pregnant.
The guidelines say fully vaccinated people should still avoid big crowds or poorly ventilated spaces and continue to practise precaution in medium to large gatherings by wearing a face mask and social distancing.
Can I see family after my last dose?
Yes. Fully vaccinated people – two weeks after their last dose – can safely see and hug their family if they are also fully vaccinated.
"You can visit your grandparents if you have been vaccinated and they have been too," Dr Walensky said.
If family members are not fully vaccinated but are at low risk, everyone can gather indoors without a face mask or social distancing.
But if family members are at high risk of severe Covid-19 symptoms, everyone should continue to practise coronavirus mitigation measures.
Should I still enter quarantine and get tested?
Fully vaccinated people do not have to enter quarantine or be tested for Covid-19 if they receive news they have been exposed to the disease, if they remain asymptomatic.
If the fully vaccinated people experience Covid-19 symptoms, they should still be tested.
Can I get rid of my face mask?
No. Fully vaccinated people should still wear face masks.
The US health agency said that fully vaccinated people should wear their face masks when gathering with people at high risk, meeting people from more than one household or when in public spaces.
“Over 90 per cent of the population is not yet vaccinated, and that is our responsibility, to make sure in the context of 60,000 new cases a day that we protect those who remain unvaccinated and remain vulnerable," Dr Walensky said.
"So we’re doing our best to do that."
The agency also urged people to follow orders from businesses or workplaces that ask visitors to wear face masks.
There is a small chance a fully vaccinated person can still spread the virus to those who have not yet been immunised.
Can I travel if I'm fully vaccinated?
The agency is asking that people postpone domestic or international travel because daily infections are still at high levels.
"We remain in the midst of a serious pandemic and still over 90 per cent of our population is not fully vaccinated," Dr Walensky said.
"Therefore everyone, whether vaccinated or not, should continue to avoid medium and large-sized gatherings, as well as non-essential travel."
How can I prove I'm fully vaccinated?
The agency-issued card distributed at vaccination centres may be the only way people in the US can prove they have been inoculated.
There are efforts to introduce digital vaccination forms or apps, but nothing official has been created.
It may be a good idea to make an extra copy of the card after all doses have been taken, in case the original is misplaced.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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World Series
Game 1: Red Sox 8, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Red Sox 4, Dodgers 2
Game 3: Saturday (UAE)
* if needed
Game 4: Sunday
Game 5: Monday
Game 6: Wednesday
Game 7: Thursday
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
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.
The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000
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Transmission 10-speed automatic
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Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km
Avatar: Fire and Ash
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Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
RESULTS
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UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
