by BLOOMBERG

Abu Dhabi will use facial scanners to detect coronavirus infections at malls and airports starting Monday, after a trial of 20,000 people showed “a high degree of effectiveness.”

The technology can detect infections by measuring electromagnetic waves, which change when the RNA particles of the virus are present in the body, state-run WAM reported. The results showed 93.5 per cent sensitivity, reflecting the accuracy of identifying those infected.

The EDE scanning system will be used at shopping malls, as part of testing in some residential areas, and at land and air entry points, as part of efforts to enhance precautionary measures and curb the spread of Covid-19 by establishing safe zones.

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) June 27, 2021

The scanner was developed by EDE Research Institute Abu Dhabi, a unit of International Holding Co.

The United Arab Emirates, of which Abu Dhabi is part, has one of the world’s highest vaccination rates, but daily new cases have continued to hover around 2,000 since March.

More than one-third of the nation’s cases are of the delta strain of the pathogen first detected in India, the UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said on Sunday.