Lithuanians volunteered to learn from Dubai: they found a way to ‘get out’ of the coronavirus crisis

Vaccination against the coronavirus is not only a basic protection against the coronavirus, but also a great help to resuscitate catering, accommodation and shopping. Entrepreneurs in the UAE have understood this and are trying to take advantage of it.

“They can’t be afraid of me, I’m already vaccinated,” says vendor Abdul-Basir of the legendary Gold Market in Dubai. And he invites you to visit his little jewelry store, where he also sells perfumes. Before I could sit down, the man was pulling out his medical book, signing and stamping the doctor who had already received both vaccinations. He is as happy as if he had won the lottery and had a lucky ticket in his hands.

But the same is true. For almost a year, Mr. Abdul’s store languished, there was a lack of customers, there was no income, and he had to pay the rent and feed his family. All savings are gone, there is nothing left to send to their relatives in their native Afghanistan. You need to earn money again. The vendor says that many tourists who currently come to the market are afraid to go to the small shops and ask the vendors to take the merchandise outside. And even touching handmade jewelry refuses to smell perfume samples. It’s about the fear of getting infected, so Abdul and he brags about having that vaccine. “It is a way of attracting people and it is very effective,” he says.

The same happened in the Lebanese online restaurant Al Safadi, where the waiter who brought the drinks was quick to boast that he and his colleagues were already vaccinated against the coronavirus. “And have you already received the vaccine?” He asked me. I had to look back in embarrassment and admit: “No, not yet, long lines in my country, I have to wait.”

One guy with an extremely complex name, Ubaidualah (there may be a spelling mistake), says that boasting about vaccines wasn’t invented by him, it’s the idea of ​​the restaurant managers. This is an attempt to show that eating at this place is safe. “Many people asked if nobody was sick with us or if we all felt well. Customers do not want to be infected during dinner, that is normal. Therefore, we immediately say that we are no longer afraid of the virus,” he explains.

Dubai hotels are also adopting similar tactics. First of all, they advertise that they are constantly disinfected, not only the common areas, but also each room individually. This is indicated by special stickers that guests find on the door upon arrival. It is like a kind of seal on a bottle. Certain items in the rooms are also separately marked for disinfection. For example, TV remote control, glasses, toilet seat.

The hotel staff also boasts of receiving vaccinations. “Some of our chefs and housekeepers have already been vaccinated, everyone else in line,” says luxury hotel manager TAJ Dubai proudly. There is a quiet competitive battle between hotels, who will be the first to vaccinate all staff, they can boast that they are the safest. “A lot of guests have asked for it, so we’re in as much of a rush as we can,” explained the hotel spokesman.

These are just a few of the many episodes that have taken place in New Dubai. I say ‘new’ because the city is on its feet and making great strides to recover from all the challenges the world has faced over the past year. The wealthy Emirati government is well aware that resurrecting its main breadwinner, tourism, will require considerable fatigue. But they seem reluctant to delay and act immediately. Vaccination is a great example of this. Dozens of clinics large and small in Dubai are working on the issue, vaccinating all their residents and citizens. Many local Lithuanians also boast of having received vaccines for free.

According to official figures as of March 25, almost 7.5 million doses have already been injected in the UAE and 2.2 million people have been fully vaccinated. This represents more than 22 percent of all residents and residents of the country.

There are currently three types of vaccines in use in this country: the Chinese Sinopharm, the Russian Sputnik V and the well-known Pfizer-BioNTech.

As Lithuanians who have already been vaccinated have explained to me, in most cases the clinics allow me to choose which vaccine from the manufacturer a person wants. “You call, take notes, go and that’s it. It’s not easier,” said Agnė, a flight attendant who lives in Dubai, who has already received both doses.

She is seconded by another compatriot, private sports coach Aistė. “It is very simple with these vaccines, everyone who wants receives them, but I refused,” he says. “As long as work is not hindered, as long as customers accept and no one restricts freedom, I will not vaccinate,” says the Lithuanian, who does not complain about the number of orders. In his view, many people who reside and work in the Emirates were simply forced to get vaccinated due to the nature of the work. “As far as I know, large companies have established the following conditions for their employees: have mandatory PCR tests every week or sign a vaccination. Therefore, many chose not to undergo these tests,” explains Aistė, who works for himself. own and independent of large companies. By the way, the Lithuanian realizes that many of her clients already have vaccines. “They feel protected, so they don’t ask me,” she said.

The emirates are generally trying to create the image of a very safe country during a coronavirus pandemic. And that’s not a bad thing for them, even though the number of infections in the country is still quite significant. It is one of the few places in the world that currently receives massive arrivals en masse. However, as the country’s authorities emphasize, they are doing it responsibly: a negative COVID-19 test is required for anyone who intends to visit the country. This proof must be demonstrated before boarding a plane anywhere in the world. Whether you are flying from Lithuania, from Frankfurt and I, or from Istanbul, you will request such a document. If you don’t, you won’t be able to get on the plane.

Interestingly, when you arrive at Dubai airport, no one needs that document anymore, because here you will be asked to take another additional test as a guarantee that you are not a guarantor. The good news is that it will cost absolutely nothing. And the test performed will not restrict your freedom in any way. At the airport, write down your phone number and say that the answer will arrive in one day. “And until I get an answer, do I have to sit in a hotel room?” I asked the boy who took the test. “No, you can do whatever you want,” he replied. A day later, as promised, an SMS message came to the phone with the message that my test response was “negative.”