Humane efforts by UAE to help residents

With global cases of the new coronavirus having crossed 1 million and more than 65,000 people dead, the pandemic continues to pose a huge threat to humanity.

The deadly march of the virus has left about half the planet confined to their homes, drastically altering life for billions of people and plunging the global economy into deep recession.

It is also putting massive pressure on healthcare services in nations both rich and poor which are struggling to find enough staff and equipment.

Governments have rolled out massive, unprecedented stimulus programmes to ease the pain, but the crisis could worsen poverty levels with millions of jobs lost.

Poor economies are struggling, with charities and volunteers rallying to provide food to the needy.

Another worrisome factor is that about 20 million jobs are at risk in Africa as the continent’s economies are projected to shrink this year due to the impact of the pandemic, according an african Union (AU) study.

So far, Africa accounts for just a fraction of total cases of the disease, according to a Reuters tally.

More than half of Africa’s 54 countries have imposed lockdowns, curfews, travel bans or other measures in a bid to prevent local transmission of the virus.

But African economies are already facing an impending global economic downturn, plummeting oil and commodity prices and an imploding tourism sector.

Before the onset of the pandemic, continent-wide gross domestic product (GDP) growth had been projected by the African Development Bank to reach 3.4% this year.

African governments could lose up to 20 to 30% of their fiscal revenue, estimated at 500 billion in 2019, it found.

Exports and imports are meanwhile projected to drop at least 35% from 2019 levels, incurring a loss in the value of trade of around $270 billion. This at a time when the fight against the virus’ spread will lead to an increase in public spending of at least $130 billion.

Separately, some consolation could be taken from the fact that the rate of new coronavirus infections and deaths in Spain slowed again on Sunday as the country, suffering from one of the world’s worst outbreaks of the pandemic, began its fourth week under a near-total lockdown.

The UAE, on its part, has always kept compassion as a key word in its valiant fight against the virus. The country approaches the crisis without any discrimination or distinction.

The ‘Early Leave’ initiative launched for private sector employees during precautionary measures period is one such prime example.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, in cooperation with the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the General Civil Aviation Authority, and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, has launched the ‘Early Leave’ initiative.

The idea is to enable residents who work in the private sector and wish to return to their home countries to do so during the period of precautionary measures undertaken in the UAE to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19.

The initiative is part of the humanitarian efforts of the UAE’s wise leadership in meeting the needs of residents seeking to return to their home countries and supporting them in these difficult times.

Another major such empathetic initiative is that valid residency permits for residents will be extended without prior medical examination and administrative fines for overstaying will be waived for visiting visas.