UAE records 70 new Covid-19 cases and no deaths

Another 90 people beat the virus, taking the tally of recoveries to 736,601

The PCR testing centre in Dubai's Jafiliya area can carry out 1,000 tests a day. All photos: Ruel Pableo for The National

The centre can be easily reached by Dubai Metro.

The centre is open for walk-in appointments.

A health worker freezes a swab collected at the testing centre located in the car park of Dubai's main immigration office.

Tests cost Dh125, Dh80 for blue-collar workers.

The centre was set up by the Right Health group, which has opened affordable clinics for workers across the UAE.

Staff register people at the centre.

The centre will serve those that live in the neighbourhood.

A man fills in his details before having a PCR test.

Immigration staff are able to get tested for Dh65.

The centre is near the Jafiliya metro station.

The walk-in facility enables people to get tested quickly and easily.

The UAE recorded 70 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the country's tally to 741,790.

A further 90 people beat the virus as the recovery tally reached 736,601.

The death toll remains at 2,145.

The latest cases were detected as a result of an additional 263,429 tests, meaning the UAE is now only 23,462 tests away from reaching 100 million since the outbreak began.

Extensive testing, plus a nationwide vaccination drive, have been credited with helping to limit the spread of the virus in the UAE.

A new variant

Despite extensive vaccination campaigns around the world, Covid-19 cases are rising, in particular in northern European countries where winter is causing more people to stay indoors. The virus spreads more easily in enclosed spaces.

A lockdown have been imposed in Austria, and the Netherlands is considering tougher Covid-19 restrictions this week.

Germany recorded a new high of 419.7 new infections per 100,000 people this week, and 351 died in the past 24 hours, bringing its official death toll since the start of the pandemic to 100,119.

Concerns are also rising regarding the discovery of a new variant in South Africa, which has prompted the UK and other nations to impose a ban on flights from the region.

Experts from the World Health Organisation are meeting officials on Friday to assess the mutation, which is called B.1.1529.

The variant could eventually be called "Nu" by the WHO, as the most concerning variants are named using letters from the Greek alphabet.

Covid-19 in Europe

A Father Christmas figure holds Covid-19-related hygiene instructions for visiting the Christmas market in Hagen, western Germany. AFP

People wait to be vaccinated below Albrechtsburg castle and the cathedral in Meissen, Germany. AP

A pupil at the Petri primary school in Dortmund, western Germany. AFP

A drive-in vaccination centre at Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany. Reuters

Shoppers in face masks at a Christmas market in Frankfurt, Germany. Bloomberg

People in a queue reported to be 700 metres long wait to be vaccinated at the Philharmonic Hall in the northern German city of Hamburg. AFP

A medical worker administers a vaccine to a patient in a dressing room at the Theatre de Verdure vaccination centre in Nice, France. Reuters

Cyclists on a 'coronapiste', a temporary cycle path created during the pandemic in Paris, France. Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo set up about 60 kilometres of new cycling roads to take pressure off public transport during the pandemic. AFP

A healthcare worker administers a vaccine during a vaccination campaign for foreign tourists in Benidorm, Spain. AFP

Visitors have their Covid-19 health passes checked at the Christmas market in Trento, Italy, on its opening weekend. Reuters

Health workers administer booster shots at San Giovanni Addolorata Hospital in Rome, Italy. EPA

The closed Christmas market next to Stephen's Cathedral, which would normally be packed with crowds of people, in Vienna, Austria. The country is under a nationwide lockdown. AFP

An unusually quiet street decorated with Christmas lights in Vienna, Austria. AFP

People queue to receive a vaccine in Vienna, Austria. AP

Police patrol the centre of the northern city of Zwolle, where an emergency order is in force after three nights of unrest in the Netherlands over new Covid-19 measures. AFP