Coronavirus: UAE reports 78 new Covid-19 cases from 242,454 tests

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  Lab staff working in the sample preparation room at Dubai Airport (DXB). All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

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  Close to Terminal 2, the laboratory is a dedicated centre for around-the-clock processing of RT-PCR test samples collected from passengers at DXB.

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  Lab staff working in Dubai Airport's in-house lab for processing Covid-19 PCR tests.

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  One of the world’s busiest airports now has one of the world’s biggest in-house Covid-19 testing laboratories.

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  The laboratory reduces waiting times for passengers arriving by making sure their PCR test results are delivered in only four to six hours.

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  Before the lab opened in June, the passengers’ samples were collected from the airport every 12 hours.

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  Now samples are collected every 30 minutes and transported to the in-house facility operated by Pure Health.

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  Carlo Kaabar, medical director of Mohap Laboratories, at Dubai Airport's in-house PCR lab.

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  After a batch of samples is received, the staff first check their integrity and verify the passengers’ details using barcodes.

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  Dubai Airport's in-house lab for processing Covid-19 PCR tests.

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  If passengers test positive, they need to undergo isolation and follow the Dubai Health Authority guidelines.

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  Lab staff scanning the barcode of a Covid-19 PCR sample.

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The UAE reported 78 coronavirus cases on Saturday, after an additional 242,454 tests were carried out.

Officials said no one died from the virus in the 24-hour reporting period.

The Emirates has recorded 742,719 infections and 2,151 deaths since the first Covid-19 case was detected on January 29 last year.

Another 72 people overcame the virus, taking the total number of recoveries to 737,821.

There are 2,747 active cases in the Emirates.

Daily cases have remained below 100 since October 21. The country's extensive testing campaign and vaccination drive have controlled the spread of infection over the past couple of months.

More than 104 million PCR tests have been carried out to date and more than 22.1 million vaccine doses have been administered in the past year.

According to official data, 100 per cent of the eligible population has received one dose of the vaccine while more than 90 per cent is fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, scientists in the UAE have invented an electric face mask they say is capable of killing viruses.

The device has two electrodes fitted to either side of a mask, which zap any viruses that enter the space, either completely destroying them or rendering them harmless.

The UAE University team, led by Dr Mahmoud Al Ahmad, have patented the idea and are now seeking investors to produce the masks at scale.