Unvaccinated UAE govt workers required to isolate must take annual leave: WAM
January 27, 2021, 10:44 am

Unvaccinated UAE govt workers required to isolate must take annual leave: WAM

An advertisement placard informs the public of the location of a designated COVID-19 vaccination center at Dubai's financial center district, UAE. (AFP)

Government workers who have not been vaccinated and have contracted COVID-19 - or come into close contact with a person who has tested positive - must use up annual leave while in isolation, under new government guidelines issued on Wednesday.

A directive issued by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) also states that they could also be asked to work from home while in quarantine.For those unvaccinated government workers who do not have enough balance in their annual leave, the quarantine period will be served as unpaid leave, the circular, issued by state news agency WAM, stated.

https://twitter.com/WAMNEWS_ENG/status/1354343304419274753

Government workers who have had the two doses of the vaccine but still test positive for coronavirus – or have come into close contact with an infected person – must continue to isolate, as recommended by UAE health authorities, the circular said.

However, they will not be required to use annual leave to do so.

This month, it was announced that UAE government employees who have not been immunized against COVID-19 must take a weekly PCR test - and must pay for their own tests.

Staff who have had both doses of the vaccine are exempt.

To date, more than two million coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered in the UAE - more than a fifth of the country’s population.

The UAE vaccination program aims to vaccinate more than 50 per cent of the country’s population during the first quarter of this year.

source: Jennifer Bell

Image source: AFP

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”