Coronavirus: UAE records 975 cases and no deaths for first time since 2020

Cases continue to decline as the country cautiously returns to normality

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  Abu Dhabi residents are inoculated at the screening and vaccine centre on the Corniche. A nationwide testing and inoculation campaign is credited with driving down cases. All photos: Victor Besa / The National

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  Staff and nurses from the Abu Dhabi public hospital group Seha urged the public to protect themselves from Covid-19 by signing up to be vaccinated.

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  Motorists queue for PCR tests at Seha's testing and vaccination centre on Abu Dhabi's Corniche.

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  Mass testing and a successful vaccination campaign has helped the UAE to tackle the pandemic.

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  Drivers wait at a centre that provides both PCR nasal swab tests and coronavirus vaccine doses.

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  Shenaz Abdul Salam, 13, gives a thumbs up as he waits to receive his first vaccine dose.

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  A staff nurse fills in a vaccination form for a driver at the Corniche centre.

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  Mariam Al Badi, an Emirati nurse working at Seha's drive-through vaccine centre, has urged everyone to get inoculated against Covid-19.

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  Ms Al Badi goes through the vaccination process with a driver.

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  Cars queue at the drive-through testing and vaccination centre on Abu Dhabi's Corniche.

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  More than 80 per cent of the UAE population has been vaccinated and the government is urging those who have not to sign up.

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  An Abu Dhabi resident gives the thumbs up after signing up for vaccination.

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  Authorities have made the vaccines free for everyone.

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  A medical worker checks papers as Abu Dhabi residents sign up for the Covid-19 vaccine.

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  The drive-through Covid-19 testing and inoculation centre has proved popular with Abu Dhabi residents.

Follow the latest updates on the Covid-19 pandemic here

The UAE reported 975 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday and no deaths for the first time since November.

It brings the total number of infections to 720,330 as cases continue to fall.

The latest figures came after 250,240 tests were carried out.

Another 1,511 people beat the virus, taking the number of recoveries to 708,155.

There are 10,132 active cases in the country.

Cases have been falling in recent weeks to under 1,000 as mass testing and one of the world's fastest vaccination drives have seen the UAE curb the virus.

Abu Dhabi on Thursday also lifted mandatory quarantine rules for people arriving into the emirate.

Before boarding to Abu Dhabi, all travellers must present a negative PCR test result from within 48 hours of departure. All travellers must also take a PCR test on arrival into Abu Dhabi with more PCR tests required depending on the country of origin.