Another 635 cases of the coronavirus were detected across the UAE on Monday after 30,147 tests were carried out.
The infections brought the country’s total to 35,192. Authorities also announced 406 new recoveries, meaning 18,338 people have beaten the virus.
Two patients succumbed to Covid-19, as a result of complications, which raised the UAE’s death toll to 266. The country now has 16,588 live cases, authorities said.
More than two million people have been tested for the virus across the country since the first cases of Covid-19 were reported in the Emirates in late January.
On Monday, Dr Amna Al Dhahak, the health spokeswoman for the UAE government, said 650,000 tests were carried out across the country in the past two weeks.
The tests were part of an early-detection strategy to quickly isolate and treat confirmed cases before more people can be infected.
Dr Al Dhahak said the UAE had entered an important stage with the resumption of economic activity, but people's health was still of utmost importance.
“We are still at a time that requires our full commitment to precautionary measures taken to curb the spread of Covid-19," she said.
"We urge everyone, citizens and residents, to continue health practices."
Dr Al Dhahak said everyone had an obligation to protect people in at-risk groups, including seniors and those with chronic illnesses.
“We urge the public to follow health advice and pay attention to groups at higher risk, particularly the elderly," she said.
"While we should continue to abide by social distancing for their health and safety, we need to look after their psychological and emotional well-being.”
Dr Al Dhahak also responded to comments on social media criticising the reopening of hotel beaches and increased capacity limits on shopping malls.
She said strict precautionary measures were still in place to ensure visitors were safe.
“We would like to highlight that preventive measures are in place, including penalties that will be imposed on everyone, whether Emiratis or residents, if needed.
"There is no difference between a citizen and a resident, and we are all sons of one country."
Dr Al Dhahak said caution was still needed in public places.
“The most dangerous thing now is to be lax, because we will undo the work of medical workers and we should co-operate with the measures to keep everyone safe,” she said.
This week, Abu Dhabi said it would seal its borders to motorists for a week starting on Tuesday to prevent the spread of the virus.
The restriction on movement includes any travel between the emirate’s regions – Al Ain, Al Dhafra and Abu Dhabi – and will enable mass testing in densely populated districts of the capital.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
INDIA%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3ERohit%20Sharma%20(capt)%2C%20Shubman%20Gill%2C%20Cheteshwar%20Pujara%2C%20Virat%20Kohli%2C%20Ajinkya%20Rahane%2C%20KL%20Rahul%2C%20KS%20Bharat%20(wk)%2C%20Ravichandran%20Ashwin%2C%20Ravindra%20Jadeja%2C%20Axar%20Patel%2C%20Shardul%20Thakur%2C%20Mohammed%20Shami%2C%20Mohammed%20Siraj%2C%20Umesh%20Yadav%2C%20Jaydev%20Unadkat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Last 10 winners of African Footballer of the Year
2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
