ABU DHABI — In line with its plan to vaccinate more than 50 percent of the country"s population against COVID-19, the UAE Ministry of Health announced that 61,396 people have got a coronavirus vaccine over the last 24hrs, bringing to 887,697 the total number of shots taken so far across the nation. In the meantime, the health ministry, along with health authorities concerned, announced the launch of a national campaign to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, especially the elderly, and people with chronic diseases. On Wednesday, UAE’s Education Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the chairman of the Education and Human Resources Council, urged all employees in public and private educational establishments, including teachers and administrative staff, to take the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, to support the country’s efforts to vaccinate over 50 percent of residents in the first quarter of 2021 and accelerate the return to normalcy of schools. He made this statement while chairing a meeting of the council, which was held via video conferencing. Sheikh Abdullah expressed his appreciation for the achievements of the council’s members in ensuring the continuity of the education process, as well as for the efforts to reinforce the capacities of human resources and invest in the country’s youth. He also stressed that overcoming this phase of the pandemic requires the cooperation of all members of the community while highlighting his confidence in the awareness of education professionals and employees of educational establishments of their key role in supporting the country’s efforts to contain the pandemic and protect the community. He affirmed the importance of the education sector’s support for the country’s work to counter pandemic, being a vital national sector while pointing out that the UAE has been keen to lead other countries in countering the virus, through adopting precautionary measures, performing tests, and offering the COVID-19 vaccine to all segments of the community. "We look forward to the return of our sons and daughters to their schools, to develop their capacities and skills in a safe and healthy academic environment where they can be overachievers, preparing a promising generation capable of leading the country in the future," Sheikh Abdullah said. — WAM