UAE reports 2,708 Covid-19 cases

Daily infections have remained above 2,000 for eight consecutive days

The Third Place Cafe on the Corniche in Abu Dhabi has a sticker to remind customers of Covid-19 precautions. Victor Besa / The National

An 'X' reminds people of the need for physical distancing at the Third Place Cafe. Victor Besa / The National

The Third Place Cafe in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Sanitation workers at Haddins Fitness, Zayed Sports City. Victor Besa / The National

Places of worship, such as Shiva temple in Dubai, have been subject to restrictions during the pandemic. Reem Mohammed / The National

Fitness buff Natalie Navikova exercises at Cobra Fitness Abu Dhabi at Al Bandar. Victor Besa / The National

CrossFit class at Vogue Fitness Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

A worshipper at Shiva temple in Dubai follows safety precautions. Reem Mohammed / The National

The floor of the main prayer hall at the Gurunanak Darbar in Jebel Ali, Dubai, is covered with plastic sheets to help tackle the spread of Covid-19. Pawan Singh / The National

Safe distance marking stickers placed on the floor at Gurunanak Darbar in Jebel Ali, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Midday prayers are performed at Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Hotel beaches are now open to guests at the Ramada Abu Dhabi Corniche after Covid-19 restrictions eased. Victor Besa / The National

Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai has safety measures in place to help protect worshippers. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Shiva temple in Dubai put safety measures in place to protect worshippers. Reem Mohammed / The National

Covid-19 safety measures are put in place at Mahamevnawa Buddhist Temple in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Residents wear face masks as they walk in Abu Dhabi city centre. Victor Besa / The National

People walk along near the Ramada Hotel Abu Dhabi Corniche during the pandemic. Victor Besa / The National

A visitor wears a protective face mask at Al Shindagha Museum in Dubai. EPA

A man on his e-scooter travels along the Corniche in Abu Dhabi as the sun sets. Victor Besa / The National

People wear face masks in Al Barsha, Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Omicron live updates

The UAE recorded 2,708 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the overall tally of infections to 774,897.

Another 743 people overcame the virus as the number of recoveries climbed to 749,254.

No deaths were recorded during the latest 24-hour reporting period, with the toll remaining at 2,170.

The latest daily infections were detected as a result of 469,028 PCR tests.

More than 113 million tests have been conducted to date.

Screening has been ramped up in recent weeks in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.

Infection rates have risen sharply in recent weeks, after falling below 50 as recently as December 6.

The latest daily caseload was the highest recorded in the Emirates since March 6, 2021, when 2,959 infections were confirmed.

The emergence of the highly-contagious Omicron variant has fuelled a surge in infections around the world.

Daily case have remained above 2,000 since December 29.

There are currently more than 23,000 active cases in the UAE.

Authorities have urged members of the public to remain committed to safety measures in order to aid the country's recovery from the pandemic.

Key steps have been taken to reduce community transmission, including the recent reinstatement of Abu Dhabi border testing rules.

As of December 30, vaccinated people entering Abu Dhabi must show Al Hosn green pass, while those who have not been vaccinated must present a negative PCR test result received within 96 hours.

The rules run in conjunction with EDE scanner checks at the border checkpoint in Ghantoot.

The devices were introduced on December 19 to help identify cases of Covid-19. Officers at the checkpoint on the E11 use a mobile phone application to detect signs of fever.

The UAE will ban unvaccinated citizens from travelling abroad from January 10, authorities announced on Saturday.

Emiratis who are fully vaccinated will also be required to take a booster shot if eligible should they wish to travel.