Coronavirus: UAE tests 127,000 people as a precautionary measure

The country has registered 0.8 Covid-19 cases per 1,000 individuals

An abra driver wears protective gloves and a face mask in Dubai. Getty Images

A sign showing how to prevent infection is seen in Dubai. Getty Images

One of the staff member stands inside a Dhow Cruise which is closed as a preventive measure in Deira. Pawan Singh / The National

An empty restaurant is pictured outside Dubai Mall. Reuters

A picture taken on March 16, 2020 shows Dubai's Burj Khalifa lit up in the colours of the Italian flag and "We are with you" message as a sign of solidarity with Italy. AFP

A view shows the Dubai mall almost empty of customers, as precaution amid the outbreak of coronavirus, in Dubai. Reuters

An empty beach in Dubai. EPA

People walk past shops in Dubai's Deira Souk on on March 15, 2020. AFP

Workers clean outside the Louvre Abu Dhabi on March 15, 2020. EPA

A man wearing a protective mask walks down the street in Dubai on March 16, 2020. AFP

A near-empty tourist boat crosses Dubai's marina on March 16, 2020. AFP

A man wears a protective mask at the shopping mall in Dubai. Reuters

A school gate is closed with a chain and lock in Dubai. AFP

Commuters wear protective masks on the metro in Dubai, March 12. Reuters

An attendant wears a protective face mask while using a fuel pump at an Eppco gas station in Dubai on March 10. Bloomberg

A member of cleaning staff disinfects a seat screen of an Emirates Airbus A380 on March 5. Reuters

A worker with a face mask disembarks from a bus at the Abu Dhabi Main Bus Terminal area on March 5. Victor Besa / The National

Commuters, some wearing protective face masks, ride the metro in Dubai on March 5. Bloomberg

A trader walks by beneath a stock display board at the Dubai Stock Exchange in the UAE on March 8. AFP

A traveller wears a mask at the Dubai International Airport on March 8. Reuters

A commuter, wearing a protective face mask, speaks on a mobile phone while riding the metro in Dubai, March 5. Bloomberg

A commuter, wearing a protective face mask, walks in Downtown Dubai on March 5. Bloomberg

Commuters, wearing protective face masks, walk in downtown Dubai, on March 5. Bloomberg

Commuters, wearing protective face masks, walk after exiting a metro station in downtown Dubai, March 5. Bloomberg

A commuter, wearing protective face mask, walks through a metro station in downtown Dubai on March 5. Bloomberg

Commuters wearing protective face masks use smartphones on the metro in Dubai on March 5. Bloomberg

UAE landmarks were lit up for in solidarity with China’s efforts to contain coronavirus, Covid-19 in March. Bilateral trade between the two countries is set to accelerate, according to officials. Wam

The UAE government has ramped up coronavirus testing to contain the outbreak.

As of Tuesday, March 17, 127,000 people had been tested for the disease in the UAE, according to the Ministry of Health and Prevention.

The country has also conducted the maximum number of swab tests per capita.

So far, more than 13,020 tests have been carried out per one million people.

The UAE registered 0.8 Covid-19 cases per 1,000 individuals.

Authorities have mobilised action plans and coordinated with various authorities within the country to contain the outbreak.

All cases of coronavirus detected in the UAE can be traced to a confirmed carrier of the illness.

While there has been “local transmission” of cases within the country, according to the WHO, the sources of the infection had all been traced, the Ministry of Health said on March 7.

“Most confirmed cases were uncovered thanks to the early detection at entry points,” Dr Nada Al Marzouqi, a ministry spokesperson, said at a press conference on March 7, in response to a question about whether all cases could be traced to outside the UAE.

New screening measures have also been introduced at several places across the UAE.

Most public places have been closed to avoid large gatherings in the country.