Dr Farida Al Hosani, spokeswoman for the state health sector, said those who had not yet been vaccinated were at high risk of contracting the virus.

She urged all residents to book vaccination appointments. "We stress that mutations pose a high risk to society, especially for those who are not vaccinated, so we call upon members of the community who are not vaccinated to take the available vaccinations," the National Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) said on Twitter after the briefing. "Studies show that those who are vaccinated with all the prescribed doses of the #Covid19 vaccine and the booster dose are less exposed to infection and complications of the disease, admission to hospitals, reduced hospital stay and no need for respirators," read another tweet.

According to Dr. Al Hosani, a national committee is analyzing the mutations, monitoring them on a daily basis, and evaluating the vaccinations' efficiency. The government is pushing all citizens to get a third vaccination injection as a booster, especially the elderly and chronically sick. The booster dose might be from the same manufacturer as the original doses, or it might be a different vaccination, subject to a medical inspection.

Earlier in the week, Dubai officials said uptake was high, but authorities were worried about the 17 per cent of the population who had yet to receive a first shot.Officials said that case figures had risen after Eid Al Fitr and residents were urged to maintain social distancing even when vaccinated so that the nation could move on to the next step of the recovery plan.

"Therefore, we call upon the honourable public with the approach of the holiday season and Eid Al Adha to adhere to preventive measures," Ncema said on Twitter.

Since the start of the pandemic, UAE task teams have implemented 33 projects in partnership with federal and local government bodies and have participated in over 400 medical and scientific research to assist worldwide efforts to battle the virus, according to Dr. Al Hosani. The new Covid-19 green pass system in Abu Dhabi went live at public venues around the metropolis on Tuesday. It is the emirate's next move to fight the pandemic.

The safety measures require people to show their testing and vaccination status on Al Hosn – the UAE's test and tracing app – to gain entry to places such as parks, beaches, malls, hotels and large supermarkets. Gyms, swimming pools, entertainment centres, restaurants and cafes will also require proof for entry.