UAE reports 2,876 more coronavirus cases on record day for testing

The UAE reported another 2,876 cases of coronavirus yesterday on the busiest day of testing for the contagion to date.

The new cases took the tally of infections to 230,578.

Yesterday was the fourth day in a row that the number of new infections exceeded 2,800.

The number of recoveries reached 206,114 after 2,454 patients were cleared of the virus.

About 89 per cent of all cases reported in the UAE to date have ended in recovery.

Active cases now stand at 23,756 – up by about 400 from Saturday.

The death of six patients from Covid-19 took fatalities to 708.

Health officials conducted 171,951 PCR nasal swab and DPI blood tests in 24 hours, the largest number on a single day so far.

That took the tally to 22.4 million since the pandemic was declared in March.

The daily rise in cases was thought to be linked to the sharp increase in the number of people returning to work after the winter break.

Regular testing of many professionals, including staff in service industry such as hotels, restaurants and retail stores, along with transport workers, schoolteachers and frontline personnel, was made mandatory by the government.

A campaign to encourage mass vaccination is under way.

More than a million injections have been administered since the UAE approved use of the Sinopharm vaccine.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Health and Prevention said 66,219 doses were given to patients in 24 hours.

Authorities said 1,086,568 doses of vaccine have been given so far.

The distribution rate is now 10.99 doses for every 100 people, the second highest on a global scale after Israel.

Two doses, taken 21 days apart, are required for the two vaccines permitted for use in the Emirates: Sinopharm and Pfizer-BioNTech.

Priority is being given to the elderly and people with chronic diseases.

The UAE has also made an agreement with Sinopharm to manufacture their vaccines locally, in addition to securing millions of readily available shots for the population.

Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, the Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, yesterday became the latest national figure to be vaccinated against coronavirus.

State news agency Wam said Sheikh Saud took the vaccine to support the UAE’s efforts to curb the virus.

Other Rulers, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, were inoculated.

The Sinopharm vaccine is available at all private and government health clinics, while the Pfizer-BioNTech inoculation can be administered in seven clinics in Dubai.

Al Safa Primary Healthcare Centre, near Jumeirah and Downtown Dubai, joined the list on Saturday to accommodate the “notable turnout” for inoculation, officials said.

They said they hoped to vaccinate 70 per cent of the emirate’s population as part of efforts to achieve herd immunity.

The UAE has plans to vaccinate 50 per cent of the population by the end of the first quarter of this year.