Dubai Health Authority halted testing in several major malls on Tuesday and urged the public to visit dedicated screening centres instead.
PCR testing stations in Dubai Mall, Nakheel Mall, Mirdif City Centre as well as Al Hamriya Port Majlis and Al Shabab Al-Ahli football club have now closed.
The DHA also announced it had stopped taking appointments for Covid-19 PCR testing at Al Barsha Health Centre from Wednesday, February 3.
Walk-in testing services are still available at Deira City Centre and at the Mall of the Emirates.
Appointments must be booked to get tested at DHA facilities in Al Rashidiya Majlis, Jumeirah 1 Port Majlis and Al Nasr Club, as well as in private hospitals.
As the focus shifts towards a national vaccination programme, fewer clinics will offer PCR tests without prior appointment to cope with the anticipated demand for vaccination.
In the private sector, Mediclinic Middle East hospitals and clinics continue to provide up to 6,000 PCR tests a day at facilities across the country.
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More than 23.7 million PCR and DPI tests have been carried out during the pandemic.
The UAE government launched a national vaccination campaign in December.
More than two million vaccine doses have been given to Emiratis and residents since the start of a campaign.
The UAE authorised use of the Sinopharm vaccine, which is available nationwide. In Dubai, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is also available to prioritised groups.
The Sinopharm vaccine is available to anyone over the age of 16 at more than 152 centres nationwide.
It is available at all clinics run by Abu Dhabi's public health operator, Seha; at Ministry of Health and Prevention centres; and at several private hospitals across the country, as well as in some majlis.
Health centres that come under the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention accept walk-ins. But appointments are needed for vaccination centres and drive-through centres operated by the Seha public hospital operator.
Residents can book appointments on the Seha app. Appointments are also needed to get vaccinated at private hospitals in the country.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
When December 14-17
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
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