UAE minister says 'we will not go back to a full lockdown'

The minister expressed the urgency to return to normal…

Pre-2020, the word ‘lockdown’ was pretty much only synonymous with a smash hit song by Kanye West. During the pandemic though, lockdown saw people across the world legally having to stay at home to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

As the world continues to adapt to the ‘new normal’, the UAE has lead the way, being the first country to reopen, with strict protocols and safety measures in place. Reassuringly, a UAE minister has said that the UAE ‘will not go back to a full lockdown’.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade said: “Omicron is way less impactful than the delta (variant) and even during delta we haven’t locked down the country. The balance has been there throughout the omicron for sure and with any future variants when it comes to corona, we will not go back to the full lockdown of the country.”

Through its commitment to strict safety measures, the UAE has gradually reintroduced a number of big events, from conferences to concerts. One of the biggest events of 2021 (running until March 2022) was Expo 2020, which has seen millions of visitors from all corners of the globe.

The UAE also celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 2021, with the introduction of a number of new laws, from changing the weekends to employment structures and more, to match with the rest of the world.

Al Zeyoudi said: “We celebrated our Golden Jubilee in 2021 and welcomed the world to Expo 2020. We showed the world that it can’t continue with the lockdowns. We have to come back to norms ASAP, and balance between health and economy has to be ensured.”

Image: Getty