Bahrain has granted emergency approval for the use of a Covid-19 vaccine candidate on frontline workers, state news agency BNA said, reporting an announcement by the health minister.

The United Arab Emirates in September allowed similar emergency use of the same vaccine for frontline workers at high risk of infection with the new coronavirus.

According to Reuters, the vaccine candidate, nearing the end of phase 3 trials in Egypt, Bahrain and Jordan, is a partnership between Sinopharm's China National Biotec Group (CNBG) and Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence and cloud computing company Group 42 (G42).