ABU DHABI — Health Minister of the United Arab Emirates Abdul Rahman Bin Mohammed Al Owais announced on Wednesday the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi started the third phase of clinical trials on a vaccine to treat COVID-19. Trials will be conducted on 15,000 volunteers, including men and women from different nationalities, noting that the number of volunteers reached about 10,000 people already. This came during a media briefing held by the UAE Government in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, where Al Owais stressed that the health sector in the country adopts a flexible and multi-track strategy in dealing with the pandemic. These measures include the relevant local authorities conducting the largest possible number of medical examinations and providing the necessary treatment and care for patients and strengthening cooperation with the international community to develop a safe vaccine against the disease. Al Owais stressed that all clinical trials are subject to country regulations, and the strict international guidelines stipulated by the World Health Organization to ensure the best safety standards for volunteers. Al Owais added that a hotline was set up to answer volunteers" questions and provide them with support during the various stages of the trials, in addition to providing mobile clinics to ensure easy access to the volunteers. Al Owais called on the community members to participate in the trials, stressing that the UAE is an ideal destination for such tests, as it hosts more than 200 nationalities. This great diversity allows those developing the vaccine to conduct more detailed research and contribute to enhancing the viability of the global application of the vaccine pending successful trials. — WAM