Page 22 - SCCI Annual Report 2021 English NEW

A Leading Experience in Managing Crises monitor COVID-19 testing results at the national level. The government was also transparent with its residents regarding Covid-19 developments, by publishing daily statistics, including the total number of new cases, recovered patients, deaths, and number of conducted tests, in addition to updated health regulations. The main goal at that stage was to control the pandemic and put an end to it through effective vaccination campaigns conducted in centers throughout the country free of charge for all. In overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, the UAE proved its significant ability to manage crises thanks to the efforts taken by various sectors in the country and high levels of coordination between the public and private sectors, health care sector, and daily emergency services. The country was dynamic in its response, allowing speedy development and expansion of its systems as soon as the pandemic broke out. In addition, response protocols were expanded to allow running wide-scale screening tests while monitoring and developing clinical trials alongside international cooperation to control the pandemic and distribute vaccines. As a result of these measures, the UAE was among ten countries praised internationally for their leadership and proactive approach in containing the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic according to the GRID Index. It also succeeded in reaching one of the highest rates of Covid-19 screening tests in the world. The UAE’s tremendous ability to attract global talent to its workforce in addition to its capacities in research and development represented an important opportunity to build a strong ecosystem of knowledge and capabilities, as well as promote the establishment of centers of excellence in the region. The decisive and rapid responses which the UAE government implemented from the early stages of the pandemic through testing centers and national sterilization and cleaning protocols have contributed to the early reduction of the pandemic’s burden on the country including closing schools and suspending flights. In early 2020, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority launched Al Hosn UAE application to 20