The UAE recorded 478 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, the lowest daily tally for nine weeks.
No deaths related to the virus were reported for the third day in a row.
A further 1,485 recoveries from the coronavirus were confirmed in the past 24 hours.
The UAE has announced 880,451 infections, 835,526 recoveries and 2,301 deaths to date.
The last time daily infections were lower was on December 21, when 452 positive tests were recorded.
The number of active cases fell to 42,624 as an encouraging streak of daily recoveries exceeding new infections was extended.
The latest infections were detected as a result of an additional 420,289 PCR tests.
More than 138 million PCR tests have been conducted to date.
A mass screening strategy has been key to the UAE's fight against the pandemic.
The cost of PCR testing has been reduced to Dh40 across Abu Dhabi.
The Department of Health Abu Dhabi announced the news on its Instagram page, saying the decision was effective from Tuesday.
The price of PCR testing has been consistently lowered since the start of the pandemic, when the standard cost was Dh370 per test.
That was reduced to Dh250 in the September of 2020, then to Dh180, and still further to Dh65 in late 2020.
Sukuk explained
Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.
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Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
