UAE reports 243 new Covid-19 cases

No deaths have been recorded in the Emirates since March 7

A woman receives a dose of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine at the Sikh temple in Jebel Ali. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara in Jebel Ali teamed up with Tamouh Healthcare to provide on-site Sinopharm vaccination for all UAE residents free of charge.

Guru Nanak Darbar hosted an event at the Sikh temple in Dubai to vaccinate 4,500 adults of various nationalities and religions in February.

A medic administers a shot of Sinopharm vaccine at the temple in Jebel Ali.

People wait to receive a shot of the Sinopharm vaccine at the temple.

The UAE reported 243 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, bringing its overall tally of infections to 893,172.

Another 602 people recovered from the virus, taking this total to 872,271.

No deaths have been recorded since March 7, with the toll standing at 2,302.

The latest cases were identified as a result of 264,300 PCR tests.

Nearly 150 million tests have been conducted to date under a robust mass screening strategy aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus.

A nationwide vaccination drive has also been credited as being key to the country's steady recovery from the pandemic.

More than 24.5 million vaccine doses have been administered since December 2020.

About 97.3 per cent of the eligible population have received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, with authorities encouraging the public to take a third "booster" dose.

Case numbers have dropped significantly during the course of the year since a peak of 3,000 daily cases in January.

This has allowed for the easing of several restrictions, including making the wearing of masks outdoors optional, lifting border entry rules for Abu Dhabi and relaxing safety measures at mosques.

Officials, however, cautioned against complacency in the fight against the pandemic.

Dr Farida Al Hosani, the official spokeswoman for the UAE's healthcare sector, said it was vital that rules still in place to protect public health are followed.

“Covid is still out there, and maintaining safety measures is still very important,” Dr Al Hosani said.

“We want to remind you of the precautionary measures, particularly the wearing of face masks in closed spaces and maintaining social distancing. We also advise the public to keep away from crowded areas.

“We know that measures have eased not only in the UAE but the rest of the world. However, it is important to keep a balance and to continue to adhere to many of the health and safety measures that we have grown accustomed to over the past two years."