A team of police and medical staff have been diligently working across the streets of Abu Dhabi to identify COVID-19 carriers in the emirate. Working for several months, medical professionals have tested up to 15,000 people every day, often working at night as well. These dedicated personnel has covered various areas across Abu Dhabi, ranging from the garden suburbs of Al Ain to the high-rise towers of Abu Dhabi city.

During long night shifts, medical and police personnel had to repeatedly change their protective gear and constantly monitor thousands of vials.

Speaking to media, Farha Baker, who leads mass testing for Tamouh Health Care, said that the team used to inform about testing and other processes across households a day before, but now they have come to expect them. Tamouh Health Care is a government-linked company carrying out testing and vaccination services across the emirate. Farha added that people in households see medical professionals every two weeks and most of them are welcoming to the efforts. 28-year-old Baker is a physiotherapist by training and currently leading a team of medics who go from street to street in a convoy of unmarked vans.

These medics visit families in high-rise towers, restaurants, laundrettes, takeaways among other places, and provide free testing facilities. People can view the results on the Al Hosn tracing app.

As per a report by The National, a door-to-door testing campaign began in March 2020 with the onset of COVID-19 cases in the country. During this campaign, medics reach people's houses, register their details, and conduct the PCR tests. They do not enter a household unless there is an elderly person or people with determination. They ensure that tests are conducted in the corridor outside a house or on the street, if necessary.

“We don’t want people lining up and we want this to be as comfortable and safe as possible for everyone," Ms. Baker said, speaking to The National.

In recent weeks, UAE's COVID-19 infections have declined to about 2,200 in a day from almost 4,000 after Christmas and New Year holidays. The UAE authorities have been carrying out vaccination campaigns, ensuring compliance with restrictions, allowing the limiting number of people in malls, shops and cinemas, closing down schools when needed in order to reduce the number of infections.

Tamouh chief executive Abdullah Al Rashdi said the key objective of the drive is to test as many people as possible.

"Daily we get information on the hot spots and depending on that we send our teams in partnership with the health authorities," Mr. Al Rashdi said.

The medics ensure that not a single person is left for testing in an area before moving on to another region. The teams are working with people from every nationality as frontliners with the aim of vaccinated every person. Every team is working to bring down the number of cases to zero to allow the return of normal life in the UAE.

“The team's safety is very important to us. We change our full PPE after each visit and disinfect ourselves each time," Ms. Baker noted.

Medical teams work long hours which due to which they have to stay away from family and friends for long hours. During this period, they live in hotels and are tested every two days. She stated that the task requires workers to be physically fit in order to enter areas, quickly register, take a swab, and exit.

“We do miss our families and they are worried about us, but if they are too worried, and you are, and I am, then who will do this job?" Ms. Baker said, in this regard.

However, she affirmed that it is a national duty for all family and friends amid the unprecedented crises. She added that the authorities initially began testing only the elderly, following which they moved on to screening people in the entire household.

"Our elderly are at risk because their sons and daughters go out to work each day, so it is safer for them and everyone that every single person gets the test," Ms. Baker affirmed.

Therefore, UAE medical teams began testing every person from the age of 9 in coordination with police to ensure smooth operations.

“The industrial areas and Tourist Club, now known by its new name Al Zahiyah, were the areas with the highest density," Ms. Baker underlined.