Live updates: follow the latest news on Omicron
The UAE recorded 2,902 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday as daily testing topped 500,000 for the first time.
Two more people died after contracting the coronavirus, taking the death toll to 2,200.
Another 1,285 people beat the virus as the recovery total climbed to 763,664.
The UAE has reported 813,931 Covid-19 infections since confirming its first cases in January, 2020.
The number of active cases stands at 48,067.
The latest daily infections were detected as a result of a record 518,300 PCR tests.
More than 119 million tests have been carried out to date as part of an intensive screening strategy aimed at limiting the spread of the virus.
Many employees in the Emirates are required to take regular Covid-19 tests.
From December 26, Abu Dhabi government employees were directed to take weekly PCR tests to screen for Covid-19.
Federal government and semi-government department employees have been offered free PCR tests in the capital. Other private businesses have also asked employees to be tested before returning to the workplace.
Returning teachers and school pupils in the UAE have since been required to provide negative tests at some schools.
The UAE's coronavirus infection rates have remained above 2,500 every day this year, having fallen below 50 in early December.
Authorities have called on the public to continue to abide by Covid-19 safety measures and receive a booster shot of a Covid-19 vaccine if eligible.
On Tuesday, Abu Dhabi Media Office urged the public to remain vigilant following a spike in case numbers fuelled by the emergence of the Omicron variant.
“The number of positive Covid-19 cases has increased during January, following months of a low infection rate,” the media office posted on Twitter
“We urge the community to act responsibly and protect public health by adhering to precautionary measures.”
A nationwide immunisation campaign is also central to the recovery from the pandemic.
More than 23 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered to date, with about 93 per cent of the public now fully vaccinated.
Fixtures
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It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The%C2%A0specs%20
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Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
