Abu Dhabi is to begin a pre-emptive testing drive in two areas of the emirate to limit infection rates. The campaign will be focused on Baniyas, a suburb of Abu Dhabi, and the Al Aamerah area of Al Ain. The operation is being led by Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee, in co-ordination with the Department of Health and Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre. Officials said the move comes after cases were detected in the two areas. "The committee also calls on the public to fully co-operate with health authorities to complete the testing and to comply with all preventive measures," the Abu Dhabi Media Office reported. Infection rates have increased across the UAE since the start of the year. On Thursday, the UAE reported its highest number of daily Covid-19 deaths to date, for the second time this week, with 18 patients succumbing to the virus. The fatalities raised the national death toll to 974, with 86 people dying in the past seven days. Another 3,525 cases of the virus were recorded, raising the tally to 339,667. Health authorities said 3,734 patients were cleared of the coronavirus, increasing recoveries to 319,787. Authorities are taking steps to battle the surge in cases.
