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Mers claims first victim in the UAE, confirms WHO
Mers claims first victim in the UAE, confirms WHO Staff Reporter / 31 August 2013 The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed the recent death of an 82-year-old Emirati man suffering from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (Mers-CoV). The news of the latest UAE death follows the confirmation on Wednesday of a further eight Mers cases in Saudi Arabia, of which one person died on Friday. It is the first locally confirmed death and the patient did not have any travel history, said the WHO. The man was brought to a hospital in Abu Dhabi in July, which led to the isolation of at least four health workers who attended the patient, after fears they had contracted the virus. Two had mild symptoms, while a further two were asymptomatic. No reports have been issued on their current health condition. To date, the UAE has reported six cases and two deaths including the recent one. In March, a 73-year-old Abu Dhabi man died in a German hospital from the Sars-like virus. In Saudi Arabia, which is at the centre of the outbreak, the death toll has already touched 43. Of the eight new reported cases, three women and two men are still alive. All but one of the eight have or had underlying medical conditions. Meanwhile, on Thursday the WHO announced two other cases of Mers were confirmed in Qatar. Both patients are men and had underlying medical conditions. Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a total of 104 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with Mers-CoV including 49 deaths. Based on the current situation and available information, the WHO has advised health care providers to maintain vigilance. However, no travel ban has been recommended by the world health body as yet. Last month Khaleej Times reported that unified local and national guidelines on how to deal with the suspected cases were being readied by the country’s health bodies. In Abu Dhabi, all healthcare providers have been briefed on the necessary notification and reporting mechanisms of any suspected coronavirus cases. That includes clinical assessment, isolation and collection of specimens for laboratory tests. The identified symptoms of Mers include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath and muscle pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhoea and vomiting. These symptoms are aggravated if the patient has any other underlying medical condition. Recent medical research has shown Mers links to both camels and bats, though investigations are ongoing. The WHO has recommended people to avoid contact with sick animals. asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Mass relocations up housing demand
Mass relocations up housing demand Haseeb Haider / 31 August 2013 The new rule which has forced tens of thousands of Abu Dhabi government employees to move to the capital, has given the property sector a boost with demand for housing shooting up. The government gave a one-year timeframe to employees and their families to find new homes and schools and move to the emirate. Many believe the move will create more economic opportunities in the capital, and macro-economic stability. There are different estimates on how many people have been affected by the new rule — one estimate suggests about 30,000 were previously commuting daily between Abu Dhabi and other emirates, while David Dudley, the Abu Dhabi-based regional head for property consultancy firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), thinks the figure is more likely between 10,000 and 15,000 people. A separate study by the Department of Transport stated that 19,000 people commute in the morning from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. The CEO at Abu Dhabi economic consultancy Global Minds, Riad Mattar, said the government policy suggested the number must be really big, otherwise the decision would not had been taken. His own estimate was between 15,000 and 20,000 people — mostly executives — would move to the capital. The relocation has already had its impact on rents as in the first quarter of the year when rents shot up by eight per cent, as families started moving back, Mattar said. Abu Dhabi opened up its property sector to foreign investment in 2007, allowing expatriates the right to own properties in the designated investment zone like Al Reem Island, Saadiyat Island and Al Raha Beach and adjoining areas like Al Reef. But, after the financial crisis of 2008, Abu Dhabi residents found rents much lower in Dubai, as thousands of residential units were delivered to their owners much earlier than in Abu Dhabi, where rents plunged significantly. However, due to late arrival of housing units, the rents were not affected in Abu Dhabi. The properties built after the financial crisis, when finally delivered to their owners, created an over–supply situation. Mattar described the government move as a well thought out one. He said first it would improve the occupancy levels in the capital and, secondly, the executive class – the primary people who would be moving back – would spend more money in Abu Dhabi on shopping, groceries and dining out, which will have a multiplier effect on the overall economy. The economist said that many Emiratis would also be affected by the new rule, as an estimated 10,000 or even more had to commute between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, Dubai and other emirates. According to JLL, 2,000 residential units were delivered in the first quarter of the year in the up-scale localities of Al Bateen Park, Al Reef Community, Saadiyat Beach Residences and Nation Towers on the corniche, bringing the total residential stock to 2,08,000 units. An additional 14,000 units are scheduled to be delivered to the market throughout the rest of the year in the posh area of Eastern Mangroves Promenade by Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), additional units on Saadiyat Island, Al Bustan Complex on 29th Street and several towers on Al Reem Island. The property consultancy says more developments are coming up within planned areas such as Al Reem Island, Saadiyat Island, Danet, Saraya and Rawdhat. Dudley said the rise in the rental values this year was due to the relocations. Ram, an Abu Dhabi property agent, said the recent surge in the demand for housing primarily related to one and two-bedroom housing units, which triggered hikes in their rental prices significantly. The bigger properties and villas with five and six-bedrooms were not in as great demand, as their rental values had dropped, since one family can stay in a villa. With the estimated 14,000 units delivered to their owners, the housing shortage will most probably be addressed over the year, with another 14,000 housing due to come on to the market next year, according to Jones Lang LaSalle. It also estimates that in 2015, about 17,000 residential units are expected to arrive in the capital, which means Abu Dhabi has to maintain its seven per cent per annum economic growth, so that enough jobs opportunities are created and the existing investments into hydrocarbons bear fruit. haseeb@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Oil slick after diesel tanker overturns
Oil slick after diesel tanker overturns Ahmed Shaaban / 31 August 2013 An Asian man sustained several injuries after the diesel tanker he was driving overturned, spilling its contents, in Ras Al Khaimah on Thursday night. According to a senior police officer, the traffic accident, the second in a month, damaged part of the concrete median of the Etihad bridge where the tanker overturned. Lt-Col Ahmed Al Samm Al Naqbi, Acting Director of the RAK Traffic and Patrols Department, said the tanker driver was to be blamed for the mishap as he was the one who lost control over the steering wheel and crashed into the concrete median. “He veered off the road, ran into and broke part of the concrete median of the bridge, and overturned on the left side.” The Central Operations Room of the RAK Police, on being alerted about the accident, dispatched the police, traffic patrols, and rescue teams to the scene. “The rescue team safely pulled out the injured driver who was stuck in the damaged tanker, and shifted him to the hospital for treatment and medical care.” Lt-Col Al Naqbi said all the diesel that the tanker was carrying spilled on to the road, covering a wide area. “The concerned authorities, in collaboration with the RAK Civil Defence department, swiftly swung in action and cleaned the road, ensuring a smooth flow of traffic.” The authorities closed the road under the bridge after the accident and shifted the tanker hanging up from the middle on the bridge wall. Al Naqbi urged all motorists and truck drivers to be more cautious and attentive on the road and abide by the set rules and regulations. “Heavy truck drivers are advised to take enough rest when they feel tired, sleepy or unwell so as not to put their lives or the lives of other road users in danger.” Earlier this month, a collision between a water tanker and pick-up truck, had damaged a 55-metre-long concrete part of the Etihad Bridge, in the direction of Al Faisal Road. The pick-up driver, a 75-year-old Emirati man, received several injuries due to the accident. Director-General of Central Operations at the RAK Police Brigadier Ghanem Ahmed Ghanem, said the 33-year old driver of the water tanker, also received minor injuries and was to blame for the accident. A tougher unified traffic law with higher fines and a black points system was implemented in 2008 all over the country, in order to encourage safer driving, especially amid the high incidence of traffic accidents involving heavy duty vehicles. ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
