With regard to Nick Webster's article Abandoned seafarers paid wages as stricken ship towed off Umm Al Quwain beach (February 16): this was a heartbreaking story. I have been following it and it's good to see that every hardships have an end.
Sarheeha Sultana, Chittagong, Bangladesh
Crackdown on fake degrees is a welcome step
With reference to Haneen Dajani's report Prison sentences and fine of up to Dh1m for using fake degrees to get a UAE job (February 16): This was a required law and a long time coming. Many genuine applicants lose opportunities to people who flaunt fake degrees to get jobs. I'm grateful that this can't happen now.
Vidyadhar Vinnakota, Andhra Pradesh, India
It's good to read this. The government paying attention to this is a great thing. It will be fair to those who are qualified and truly deserve the job.
Maria Theresa Pereyra, Dubai
Normal to feel emotional heading back to school after so long
With reference to Haneen Dajani's piece Cheers as Abu Dhabi pupils return to school for first time in 11 months (February 17): they've been out of class for a long time. That everyone is a bit emotional is understandable.
Elaine D'Arcy, Abu Dhabi
Despite the dip in cases Indians must not drop their guard
With reference to Taniya Dutta's report Covid killed 1,000 Indians a day. Then hospitals fell silent as infections fell (February 17): vaccinating the entire country should be the first priority of the Indian government. Politics can wait. Human lives are more important.
Rajendra Aneja, Dubai
Just as well the situation has so vastly improved. People are tired of sitting at home for so long. The government has reopened cinemas and malls, which are the main attractions for a lot of people to go out. Compared to other countries, India has seen a drastic recovery. The cases are negligible compared to November. However, expert opinions differ on whether herd immunity has been achieved.
By virtue of India's tropical climate in parts, the general immunity because of the diet and a younger population, India has managed to pull through. But the battle is still on. We cannot afford to let our guard down. With vaccines having arrived and a sizeable number of people getting inoculated, perhaps we stand a chance after all to get rid of this pandemic.
K Ragavan, Bengaluru