Dubai: Dubai World Expo warns of possible closure due to virus

Expo 2020 in Dubai stated that the virus outbreak among staff may force certain parts of the expo to “temporarily close for deep cleaning and disinfection”, but did not elaborate on the scope or location of the infection.

This United Arab EmiratesIn just three weeks after the arrival of the epidemic, the number of daily virus cases has soared by a multiple of 37. Omi Kron Variants.

The ambiguous statement issued by the Dubai government-run media office on Monday highlighted the daunting challenge of hosting the world’s first major face-to-face events while the pandemic is still raging. The expo opened in October after a year of postponement because the UAE was betting that its rapid introduction of vaccines would enable its economy to avoid a shutdown that paralyzed much of the West.

The Expo will try to implement various virus preventive measures, compulsory wearing masks on the exhibition site, and requires a vaccination certificate or a recent virus test negative to enter. However, a highly infectious variant of omicron, which is thought to evade vaccination, proposes a new test.

In recent weeks, there has been no obvious social distancing requirement for large-scale concerts at the World Expo, and revellers collided with each other and waved to the music.

As Dubai’s winter tourist season is in full swing, the World Expo has become the focus of attention. Millions of tourists from all over the world flock to it. There are dozens of national pavilions, restaurants, shops and performance stages here. Last week’s Christmas parade attracted a large crowd, and the World Expo is now preparing to host a large concert to attract party audiences on New Year’s Eve.

Last year’s New Year’s Eve party in Dubai drove a surge in virus cases in the UAE as tourists fled their homes. The infection is now hovering below these heights, but it is rising rapidly. The daily number of infections exceeded 1,840 on Tuesday, the highest in six months.

On Tuesday, the more conservative capital, Abu Dhabi, stepped up virus screening on highways from Dubai to ensure that all vaccinated drivers have tested negative in the past two weeks. This week, the city limits family gatherings to 30 people and outdoor activities to 150 people.

The UAE authorities report that among the nearly 10 million people in the UAE, there are very few hospitalizations and deaths every day, and more than 90% of them have been vaccinated.