Rogue variants and virus ‘vortexes’ keep Dubai Expo planners on edge

Rogue variants and virus ‘vortexes’ keep Dubai Expo planners on edge

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Rogue virus variants, the global vaccine rollout and international travel restrictions are being closely monitored as Expo 2020 Dubai draws close.The in-person mega event, likely the largest ever staged in the Arab world, has cost billions and taken more than a decade to plan. It's now scheduled to go ahead on October 1, a year after it was postponed by the pandemic. "Here in the UAE, we are optimistic, but we are realistic and we are practical," UAE Minister of State and Expo 2020 Dubai Director-General Reem Al Hashimy told CNBC on Tuesday."We're hopeful in the next five months, we're going to see a better and a stronger overall picture," Al Hashimy said. "We may still end up with vortexes here and there that still remain difficult, but by and large, we're hoping for more of a recovery."More cases of COVID-19 have been reported globally in the past two weeks than during the first six months of the pandemic, even as global vaccinations ramp up. India is grappling with a lethal third wave, and rogue variants of the virus - such as strains first detected in South Africa and the U.K - could still pose a