Coronavirus: Sheikh Mohamed praises medics as no new Covid-19 deaths are reported

First time the UAE has gone a day without death from the disease since April 18

A staff member assembles a 3D-printed face shield made under the Glia project, which produces low-cost medical supplies for impoverished regions, in Gaza City. AFP

The National

Jul 15, 2020

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has praised medical staff for their work to contain the coronavirus after no new Covid-19 deaths were reported on Wednesday.

In the past 24 hours, the Emirates recorded a rise of 275 Covid-19 infections, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 55,848.

New infections were overshadowed by the 393 patients who recovered, for a total of 46,418.

The new cases were discovered after 48,000 tests were carried out in 24 hours. The country's death toll stood at 335.

Sheikh Mohamed announced the happy news but said work to tackle the virus was continuing.

"Today we announce no deaths related to Covid-19 in the UAE in the last 24 hours," he said on Twitter.

"Our deepest gratitude to our frontline heroes and to society for their commitment to adhering to precautionary measures.

"We must continue our collective efforts in tackling this challenge."

Today we announce no deaths related to COVID-19 in the UAE in the last 24 hours. Our deepest gratitude to our frontline heroes and to society for their commitment to adhering to precautionary measures. We must continue our collective efforts in tackling this challenge.
— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) July 15, 2020

The UAE recorded its first cases of the coronavirus on January 29, when four members of a family tested positive after returning from Wuhan during the Chinese New Year’s holiday.

Coronavirus outbreak

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan applauds during a conference in Istanbul, Tuesday, July 28, 2020. Turkish lawmakers were making their final speeches Tuesday before voting on a bill that would give the government greater powers to regulate social media, in what human rights groups and the opposition have decried as a violation of free expression online. Hundreds of social media users have already been investigated and some arrested for their posts on the COVID-19 pandemic, opposition to Turkish military offensives in Syria or insulting Erdogan and other officials. (Turkish Presidency via AP, Pool)

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The country's first deaths were announced on March 21.

They were a 78-year-old Arab citizen who had returned from Europe and an Asian citizen, 58.

The first died of a heart attack "that coincided with complications from the virus" and the second suffered from chronic diseases, including heart complications and kidney failure, the Ministry of Health and Prevention said at the time.

As of Tuesday, the country had reported 55,573 total infections, 46,025 recoveries and 335 deaths. The number of active cases was9,213.

More than 4.26 million screenings have been carried out across the UAE since the outbreak.