On Wednesday, UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention reported 340 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 290 recoveries and no deaths.

Hong Kong said on Wednesday it had approved a version of the BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for babies and children under five years old – part of broader measures to boost vaccination uptake in the financial hub.

The government said it was discussing with the vaccine manufacturer the timeframe for when it would be available in the Chinese special administrative region. The government has said that each shot contains one-tenth of the adult dosage, reducing the chance of side effects.

The government approved the use of China's Sinovac shots for children 6 months and older in August. Sinovac and BioNTech are the two vaccines available for Hong Kong residents.

About 7 per cent of infants younger than 2 have had a Covid vaccine, a rate that is far from satisfactory, authorities have said.

Meanwhile, passengers and crew of cruise ships entering Abu Dhabi have been exempted from showing green pass on Al Hosn app to visit tourist attractions and establishments, the local authority said.

“Based on the directives of the concerned authorities issued in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, passengers and crew arriving Abu Dhabi via cruise ships are now exempt from green pass protocols to enter tourism attractions and establishments,” the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT – Abu Dhabi) said.

Instead of the app, visitors can use cards or wristbands issued by cruise ships.

Recently, the local authorities eased several Covid-19 precautionary measures, including increasing the validity of green pass to 30 days, making masks optional in majority of the public places and reducing the isolation period to five days.